Away from home (a sequel to A way back home)
by InsaneVanity
Summary: If the first book gave you feels, this one would make your head and sides hurt. While a lot of shenanigans are going on around the Zoldyck Estate, waiting for Killua's comeback, karma's being a bitch to Illumi and EVERYTHING has a way to torment him. Petty sibling quarrels, stalkers, bets, mind games, adult humour...looks like Killua missed a lot while being away from home aye?
1. Realization

**DISCLAIMER :** Following the word itself "fanfiction", I do not own anything in this fiction and credits belong to the rightful creators of the manga: TOGASHI YOSHIHIRO, the publisher, the broadcasting companies of the anime both 1999 original version and 2011 remake - Nippon Animation and Madhouse, respectively and etc.

 **!ATTENTION!  
IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE PREQUEL "A WAY BACK HOME",  
PLEASE READ IT FIRST BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THIS ONE.**

FINALLY...

 ***** drumrolls *****

 **The awaited sequeeeel!**

Yup. It's here... xD  
Admittedly, compared to most romance fics, this did not garner a lot of appreciation... but I'd still conitnue posting anyways for those who loved it!  
I extend my utmost gratitude for the continous patronage and take this sequel as my sign of token of gratitude and appreciation for everything.

Special mentions to : SakuraPetal91, Milye6 and all of the rest who followed, reviewed and faved my story.  
Thank you guys!

If you were into the rather darker and sadder stuff in The first book, this might slightly disappoint you since this has some hints of adult humour, more characters, more POV's and maybe a little ROMANCE?! (it's completely one sided all for the sake of humour xD)  
And this might be a looot longer than the first book so we're gonna have a loong read hehe

 **FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE FIRST BOOK'S ENDING:**  
We got it covered here!

So just stand back and read! We've still got another book to read after this * wink * (yep. There's still a book three hehe!)

But that still depends on the feedbacks i get for this tho... xD

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1**

 **-REALIZATION-**

I walked along an alley surrounded by huge, dense trees. It was another uphill climb. Like the usual route I took the past few days.

Or rather, weeks.

I don't feel like coming back.

My legs still felt numb. My body was still sore.

* * *

 _I slowly opened my eyes to find myself lying unconscious in another room._

 _I turned my head to the side and looked around trying to figure out where the hell am I and what disaster is awaiting me again after the last glimpse I had of Illumi telling me that I can never escape him again anymore..._

 _I felt like he just ate my soul away after he gave me the stare I have always dreaded right through my eyes, piercing through my bodiless soul..._

 _I sat up to realize I was lying in a bed. I carefully felt for my face, my neck and my body to check for injuries and found none except for some gadget attached to my head._

 _Is this for real that I finally have a body now? Or is this another premonition for an upcoming disaster?_

 _The door creaked open._

 _"KILLUAAAA!"_

 _It was Gon. He was running excitedly towards me. Is this real? I gave him a wary look._

 _"KILLUA! You're finally awake!"_

 _It seems real. He sees me. I have a body now and he is acting normal._

 _"Gon..." I smiled._

 _"You were asleep so I had to keep the awesome stories to myself until you wake up!" He sat on a chair besides my bed._

 _"How long have I been asleep?" I asked lethargically._

 _"Not too long... Maybe around 7 hours? I just woke up too a couple of hours before you did. An error occured so we did not reach the 1 month goal and we had to be ejected immediately otherwise we'd get stuck in the time period we were in... Ging told me to tell you to go to him when you wake up."_

 _So that explains it._

 _"I see..." I nodded. "Where are the rest?"_

 _"Well..." Gon's cheerful expression changed to a more subtle one. "Kurapika left at once... and Leorio too even before I could tell them anything... they were probably still grieving about what they have left behind..._

 _"Yeah..." I spoke lowly, being under the same situation. The feeling that you were there and must do something but can't do shit about it. "I understand..."_

 _"Killua? Are you okay?"_

 _"Huh? Ah... yeah... I am..." I smiled wryly and apparently I can't hide the grief and sorrow reflecting through my eyes._

 _"EVEN YOU?!" Gon wailed and bawled at me like a little child. "I THOUGHT WE CAME HERE TO ENJOY!? Why are you all giving me those long, sad faces like thaaaatt...! Why is it like I'm the only one who seem to have enjoyed my trip!? This is so unfaaair!" He sobbed, drooping his head down in guilt._

 _"Hehehehe..." I gave him an awkward chuckle patting him in the shoulder. "Heeey! Don't feel bad about it!"_

* * *

It felt like forever.

After everything that has happened, I don't think I can actually have the nerve to come back.

I don't know if I still could face him. What to tell him, how to act casually upon him.

* * *

 _"We meet again..." He spoke as he slowly advanced towards me. His stare of despair piercing right through my eyes, towards my soul...!_

 _"The tables turned around. What goes up must come down. You can't leave me again anymore..."_

* * *

 _"But Aniki... You don't have an Aniki like you who trained you to be as strong as you are now... Who trained you?"_

 _He looked right through my eyes as he reached to grab my little bruised hand after I asked him the last question. Silence ensued as he remained speechless. He just stared at me blankly like he was actually having a lot of debates running into his head. I gave him back a confused look, feeling awkward with his heavy, mysterious gaze. He ran his eyes from my eyes, to the corners of my face, to my hair before finally letting go of my hand._

 _"Who else?" He finally spoke, changing his usual monotone into a livelier one. "Of course Dad and Gramps trained me. There aren't anyone else qualified to do so..."_

* * *

 _"To be honest, aniki just wanted to control me and turn me into his puppet... that's the whole sad truth..."_

 _"Why would he do that?"_

 _"Who knows?" I shrugged. "As long as I'm not under his clutches anymore, there's no need to know why."_

* * *

I betrayed him.

I started all of these.

After all of the things I did, I was still wrong. I was wrong for thinking that going back to the past to fix everything will start the change. That it would save both of us.

I never knew that it was the biggest mistake that I did. It was an inevitable fate. That I was the one who caused my own misery and I was the one who betrayed him first.

And now it all makes sense why. Why did Dad choose me as an heir indisputably. Why is Illumi treating me like this...

It was all my fault.

Illumi is getting back at me for betraying him. He was making my life miserable upon believing that I lied to him and have left him. That I was nothing different from the rest of the people who have left him for something or someone else. That the last person he trusted and have opened his stone heart for was the last one who actually betrayed him. I was the last straw. His sanity fell after I broke the narrow, brittle thread it was hanging on to. Because of that, he was finally deprived of the right to feel and sad to say it was the only thing to do to prevent him from doing anything further dangerous.

Since then, trying to manipulate me and hold me by the neck would compensate the scars I inflicted him. That the more people he holds by the neck, the happier he would get. And why? Simply because I had everything. I was pushing everything away from me while he was already locked up in his own dungeon, free but unfree. He was always the compromise and the sacrifice while I lived in luxury and pleasure as he manipulates people cathartically including me to appease his tormented and damaged soul.

I unknowingly made my own life miserable. Even dragging along Alluka with me. How can I be so selfish? How can I be so ignorant? How can I be so dense?! I was only thinking of my own welfare and my freedom that I neglected the significant things that have been happening around me. I was struggling to free myself from the chains that bound me while all along he has already had his freedom taken away completely, and have accepted such fate. All just for me despite what I did.

And after all of these...

I am still left unable to undo everything as always.

I knew that turning my back away from this once again like the usual coward I am would do nothing well. I have a reason to live. I have my friends and people who believed in me. And I now understand everything.

Even so... I still can't face him.

I figured out that it would cause chaos if I remind him everything and inform him that I finally knew.

I halted as I finally made it to my destination. I dodged the sun rays with my palm as I took sight of what's ahead of me.

At the moment, I might be staying here for a while. Gon went back to Whale Island after we parted ways without even being able to share each other's stories.

* * *

 _"Hehehehe..." I gave him an awkward chuckle patting him in the shoulder. "Heeey! Don't feel bad about it! You should be happy that you did not have any traumatic past to go back to!" I scolded him playfully._

 _"BUT?!"_

 _"Alright! ENOUGH!" I crossed my arms staring sternly at him. "You said you had a lot of awesome stories to tell right? Start telling them now!" I nudged him, narrowing my eyes at him._

 _"NO!" He pouted, scoffing at me. "I ain't gonna tell you anything until you have told me what happened to your trip! BLEEEEH!"_

* * *

He was most likely upset because I refused to tell him mine. He told me, he will be waiting until I'm ready to tell him everything and that's when he'll tell me his story. He believes he must share the pain I've went through and that he feels bad I have to go through all of it alone while he was having a good time.

I looked behind me and gazed upon the breath taking scenery of the deep, shimmering blue sea below the cliff where I am standing right now as a flock of small-billed swans flew above it. I eventually then turned my back and resumed to moving forward to where I'm supposed to head to.

I must calm down. I must keep the grief and negative vibe within me. They're happy to see me again so I must not show traces of negativity.

I knocked thrice on the door. I can hear their rambling and bantering from the outside before I finally heard footsteps towards the door to get me.

The door creaked open.

"Who possibly would be visiting...?! Oh, HEY! KILLUA!"

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER 1**


	2. Brewing storm

**DISCLAIMER :** Following the word itself "fanfiction", I do not own anything in this fiction and credits belong to the rightful creators of the manga: TOGASHI YOSHIHIRO, the publisher, the broadcasting companies of the anime both 1999 original version and 2011 remake - Nippon Animation and Madhouse, respectively and etc.

* * *

 **REPLIES TO COMMENTS**

 **Guest :** I'm sorry~ ( u_u) This story is not that much on the dark stuff. Although every now and then there are angsty POV's by Killua, this one is more on the general side and humour. I hope you'd still read it despite that

 **SakuraPetal91 :** Haha, you'd never know xD

 **!WARNING!  
** If you're here to leave a comment about how you did not like the plot, well GTFO. I only tolerate constructive crictisms (specially the ones that could help me improve my writing, grammar and syntax) and not biased statements basing on one's peference only (stuff like how you did not like my genre and the characters I put in it). If you don't like the story, then don't read.

 **AND FOR THOSE WHO LIKED THE FIRST STORY AND STILL READING THIS,** showing appreciation wont also hurt as much as I often thank you guys for reading and keeping up with my story. R&R PLS! A follow or fave will also do good!

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**

 **-BREWING STORM-**

"HAHAHA! It's been a long time buddy!"

They were really glad to see me again. It's been almost half a year since the last time I visited this place. I usually keep in touch with them trough the internet but a real visit is still a different story.

"So, where's Gon?" Meleoron asked, sitting in the couch in front of me.

I decided to stay here in Kakin at Kite's place at the moment. I always feel relief when I stay here when I'm not with Gon. Kite has grown up really fast as the King's twin and she looked about her former body's age now. She resumed her former occupation as a Contract Hunter along with the rest of the ants who had no shelter that has finally decided to reside with Colt and Kite's exploration team for refuge. The exploration team is currently incomplete however as Podungo and Lin are staying at Peijing for a research and will be back after a month.

That exactly explains why I visit here sometimes, no matter how far, just to see them. On some occassions, I bring Alluka with me. Knuckle, Shoot and Palm would occasionally come over too.

Although honestly, it still feels strange referring to Kite as a female now. He, I mean SHE, still talks and acts like the former HER, but I still have to get myself used to referring to him as SHE, HER and whatnot. Am I confusing myself right now?

"Well, he went back to his hometown at once..." I answered plainly. "He was too excited to tell his Aunt Mito about the young Ging..."

"YOUNG GING?!" Spin and a few of Kite's team all had their attention on me. "So he decided to go back to the time period where Ging was still young?!"

"Yeah..." I nodded, crossing my arms, slouching my back on the couch. "He did not even tell me a bit about it yet..."

"Did he tell you what age was Ging-san when he went back to that certain time period?" Kite interrupted as he, I mean SHE entered the living room, sitting on the couch with the rest of them.

"Hmm..." I rubbed my chin, trying to remember.

* * *

 _"I'll prolly be going back to when Ging was only my age..." Gon stated with an excited and determined gleam in his eyes. "I have said this once before, but I have never felt Ging as my father, but more like a comrade, a friend... I would like to know how does it feel like to be with him by the time when we're still equals..."_

* * *

"Prolly around 12 or something..." I was unsure. "He told me he would like to know how it feels like hanging out with Ging when they were still equals..."

"Hmmm..." Kite nodded. "Everything that happened in the past affects the future and the present. There's a possibility that one of Ging-san's influences and inspiration was actually Gon himself who have visited him from the future after finally getting to know him in the present time period."

"Eh?" Everyone gave Kite a puzzled look with their ears belching puffs of smoke.

"Huh? Did I confuse you?" She asked everyone before turning back to me. "Killua. You participated in the experiment. I am sure you are entirely aware about what I mean."

* * *

 _"We meet again..."_

 _"The tables turned around. What goes up must come down. You can't leave me again anymore..."  
_

* * *

"Yeah..." I tried to choke back that feeling again. I'm not supposed to spread negativity in here. I'm here to ease the torture that's going on in my mind. Not to spread it and infect others with it.

"I'm not sure if Gon was aware about it. But I'm sure, he would be more than honoured to realize it..." Kite smiled at me with assurance. "No matter how miserable our pasts were, they are what made us in the present and in the future. It's something still worth reminiscing..." She glanced to Koala and to Colt and to the rest of the ants who were once humans...

Really huh...? Worth reminiscing? I am not too sure about that. After discovering the whole damn truth...

"So, if Gon went to see the Younger Ging, where did you go?" Ikalgo asked me.

"Eh...?" I looked back at him with hesitations. I can't figure out what lie am I going to use this time to cover up the storm that's going on inside me. "I... went back to my family's past a couple of years earlier. There was something I wanted to find out about my family..." I rushed my words.

"Hmm... so you visited your house then a couple of years backwards..."

"HEY HEY HEY~ LUNCH'S READY GUYS! Time to eat Lunch ala Dinner! Hahahaha! Oh wait, that's a bad pun hahahahaha!" Stick hollered out from the kitchen calling out everyone to gather in the dining hall to eat.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAHHH!" I screamed in satisfacton before going back to gobbling horrendous amounts of food. "WHURT?" I asked with bits of noodles sticking out of my mouth.

I realized they were all staring at me.

"You sure are hungry huh? You forgot that Stick actually cooks horribly..." Spin said.

"HEEEY! You should be thankful I still cook meals for you guys, secially Dinner!"

"(Gulp)" I tried to swallow my mouthful before speaking again. "The food for employees at home was horrible and I've been eating that crap for 15 days. I had to recharge!" I ignored them and went back to my food. To hell with them, I'd eat as much as I want!

"Well, it's nothing different in here, except when Palm visits and cooks for us sometimes..." Meleoron retorted.

"HEY THAT WAS RUDE!" Stick chimed in.

"Oh yeah... I sure do miss Palm's cooking..." Ikalgo added. "When she visits she never failed to serve us with tasty, grand meals..."

"Why? Does Palm rarely visit here?" I asked.

"Well..." Ikalgo stopped talking as I noticed Meleoron and some of them, even Kite's team were glaring at him in which beads of sweat started to form on Ikalgo's forehead... "WELL! Umm, YEAH! SHE RARELY VISITS HERE! She was busy so...!"

I locked my eyes on Ikalgo who was still trembling and sweating profusely.

"Oh... ok." I went back to my food, ignoring the strange repressed commotions around me. They ARE hiding something.

"Say, Killua." Kite broke in. "Did Ging-san occupy one slot for the experiment?"

"No he didn't. 2 of my friends including Gon occupied the remaining 3 slots."

"Aren't you supposed to be back here around next month? It's supposed to be a 1 month goal to sustain you on that certain time period."

"An error occured so we were forced back to the current time period."

"What happened to the rest?"

"Just like me and Gon, they also made it succesfully back to the present. It happened that they experienced scarcity of Nen and was unable to hold us in for 15 days longer. Had we not been ejected immediately, only our bodies will be transmitted back and our souls and consience would wander around the oblivion, rendering us to a commatose state. We actually experienced it for a couple of hours before finally going back to reality..."

"It might have been something to do about how far into the past have you requested to go back to..." Kite suggested.

"Hmm, so far, Gon asked to go back more or less 25-27 years back in the past. I asked 20 more or less. And both Leorio and Kurapika for at least 6-7."

"Is there any side effects did you experience?"

"For me, I guess slight body pains, head aches and the likes. But its tolerable. I don't know about Gon though. Like I said he hurried back to his hometown... he looks perfectly fine to me."

"And how about you?" Spin asked. "Have you been home yet?" I noticed another strange gesticulations and reactions that Ikalgo and Meleoron and the rest have been manifesting. Ikalgo's teeth were chattering and he was still sweating profusely while Mon, Stick and the rest of Kite's team appear to be cautious of my answers.

THEY REALLY ARE HIDING SOMETHING FROM ME!

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER 2**

 **NOTE :** This might be an unnoticed detail but I would just like to inform the rest of you guys anyway that Stick, that guy in Kite's exploration team with the afro loves to joke around specially puns and his last name is Dinner.


	3. She what!

**DISCLAIMER :** Following the word itself "fanfiction", I do not own anything in this fiction and credits belong to the rightful creators of the manga: TOGASHI YOSHIHIRO, the publisher, the broadcasting companies of the anime both 1999 original version and 2011 remake - Nippon Animation and Madhouse, respectively and etc.

* * *

 **REPLIES TO COMMENTS**

 **KilluasAss :** Thanks for reading the first book till end also blessing this new one xD I hope you'll also read this sequel and never get tired of it xD Don't worry, there're more of laughs in this one than feels so you can give it a rest ( ôuô)

 **SakuraPetal91 :** Obviously only Gon had fun on his trip... xD He will only tell Killua about it once Killua is finally ready to tell about his trip xD

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3**

 **-SHE... WHAT?!-**

"And how about you?" Spin asked. "Have you been home yet?" I noticed another strange gesticulations and reactions that Ikalgo and Meleoron and the rest have been manifesting. Ikalgo's teeth were chattering and he was still sweating profusely while Mon, Stick and the rest of Kite's team appear to be cautious of my answers.

THEY REALLY ARE HIDING SOMETHING FROM ME!

"I haven't gotten home yet... I immediately dropped by here after the whole thing..." I uttered void of expressions remembering that I still can't face Aniki... "So if possible, Kite, would you allow me to stay here for a while before I finally get the mood to go back home?"

"Phhheeeewwww..." I heared them let out a long sigh of relief, excluding Kite. I glanced at them skeptically in which they quickly shifted their eyes away from each other pretending like they heard nothing and went back to eating casually...

THIS IS GETTING WEIRDER! I will figure this out soon...! Just a little more!

"Sure. Same room you used to stay in here with Gon before right?" She consented me without questions.

"Yeah..."

"Ahhh... so this is maybe why he didn't know..." I overheard Ikalgo whisper to Meleoron...

"Yeah, good grief..." Meleoron whispered back.

"OHHHKAY! YOU GUYS ARE HIDING SOMETHING FROM ME!" I blurted out seizing Ikalgo on the collar.

* * *

 _I knocked thrice._

 _I can hear their bantering from the outside. It appeared like they were arguing on who gets the door._

 _The door creaked open._

 _"Who possibly would be visiting...?! Oh, HEY! KILLUA!"_

 _"WHAT? KILLUA'S HERE?!" The rest of them raced to see me, running from the hallway to the living room._

 _Most of them sure are happy to see me but some of them specially Ikalgo and Meleoron looked a bit nervous or tensed about it..._

 _sweatbeads forming on their foreheads with wry smiles trying to cover up their terrified looks._

* * *

"SPIT IT OUT OR I'LL CALL YOU AN OCTOPUS AGAIN!" I stretched Ikalgo's tentacles furiously. "STILL NOT TALKING?!"

"B-but! I dont know anything!" He pleaded.

"OH YEAH?! HOW ABOUT THIS!" I angrily grabbed his circular head and pinched his cheeks pulling them as far apart as I could. "WHAT-IN-THE-BLOODY-HELL-DID-I-NOT-KNOW-ABOUT-MY-DAMN-FUCKING-HOUSE-THAT-ONLY-YOU-GUYS-KNOW!"

"Ayr durnt knowr..."

He still denies it! "STILL NOT TALKING HUH?" I slammed him down the floor and stomped at his squishy little head as hard as I could.

"It's Palm..." Kite chimed in.

"Huh?"

* * *

 _"Why? Does Palm rarely visit here?" I asked._

 _"Well..." Ikalgo stopped talking as I noticed Meleoron and some of them, even Kite's team were glaring at him in which Iklago started to sweat profusely... "WELL! Umm, YEAH! SHE RARELY VISITS HERE! She was busy so...!"_

* * *

I let go of Ikalgo in surprise who quickly squirmed his way towards Meleoron, scratching his head full of lumps. "Why just me... (sobs)"

"What?" I asked Kite in confusion. "Palm, what?"

"She's at your place..." She briefly spoke. "You most likely did not know about it because you haven't gotten back home."

I shifted my death glare to Ikalgo and Meleoron who trembled in a corner like they were about to be eaten alive by the Royal Guards and the King. "TALK! YOU LITTLE PIECES OF ANTSHIT!"

"WE- WE DON'T KNOW!"

"You don't know?!" I grunted impatiently.

"Palm was acting pretty strange a month ago, maybe exactly the time you left for Yorkshin towards Greed Island to respond to Ging-san's invitation for the Time Travel Experiment." Kite added.

She was prolly trying to stop me from butchering down these worthless pieces of antshit. I glared at them once again...

"OKAY OKAY! WE WILL FINALLY TELL YOU! JUST CALM THE HELL DOWN!"

* * *

ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

I fled by the speed of light rushing my way through the woods, heading north. I had to waste Nen on this! Rather, I HAVE NO TIME TO WASTE!

That bitch... HOW CAN SHE BE SO GULLIBLE! WHY THE HELL DOES SHE HAVE TO DO THIS! First she was into Gon and now SHE'S TRYING TO GET HERSELF KILLED BY BARGING INTO OUR TERRITORY OVER A FOOLISH DECISION! Just when I thought she was all good with her logical thinking and that her psychotic outbreaks are gone!

I CAN'T LET THIS PASS! I NEEDED TO GET BACK HOME AS SOON AS I CAN!

No matter what...

She's still my friend! I had to do what it takes to protect her!

Even if I had to risk my pride and face my fears!

* * *

 _ **ONE MONTH AGO... (a very long flashback...)**_

While Killua and Gon are on their way to York Shin to respond to Ging's invitation...

"Is she already...?" Ikalgo ran from upstairs to the living room.

The rest of them shook in response to Ikalgo.

"But she called yesterday... she's supposed to arrive an hour ago... What's taking her so long..." Ikalgo continued.

"I'm getting hungry..." Knuckle grunted. "She said she will arrive earlier than Shoot and I but where is she now! Daamn..."

Shoot just nodded in agreement as he sat next to Knuckle.

"(sigh) It's getting late and I can't wait to finally have a decent meal..." Spin popped her bubblegum. "Its been a long time since she visited..."

"Well, she might be on her way now?" Meleoron added. "We can just wait for a little longer right?"

* * *

"What the hell..." Palm muttered to herself as she made her way through the woods carrying two bags of goods for tonight's dinner she will be preparing. She was still quite some kilometers away.

Someone... rather a bunch of people was coming her way. They're definitely weak, and most of them are at least low level Nen Users, however, it's always safe to keep one's guards up.

"I must apologize to them... but I'm gonna get a bit late..."

She put down the bags and cupped her right eye with her right hand. "There are a lot of them a couple of meters away from these bunch coming my way! They're weak... but I must be careful!" She then picked the bags up then started to run until...

SWIIIISH!

A knife swung towards her in which she evaded before it could hit her right through her head.

And even before she could form a stance to prepare for a battle, someone fast enough, but not too strong was able to sneak from behind, grabbing her hands together gripping them tight to her back then pointing a blade enforced with Nen to her neck.

"What are you doing here and who are you!" He hastily inquired. "Answer me or I'll slit your throat..."

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER 3**


	4. The Backstory 1

**DISCLAIMER :** Following the word itself "fanfiction", I do not own anything in this fiction and credits belong to the rightful creators of the manga: TOGASHI YOSHIHIRO, the publisher, the broadcasting companies of the anime both 1999 original version and 2011 remake - Nippon Animation and Madhouse, respectively and etc.

* * *

 **REPLIES TO COMMENTS  
**

 **Zelda :** Thanks for reading the first story ^^ Yes! You perfectly understood the story xD His travel in the past was meant to happen which was the cause of everything that has happened to both him and Illumi in the present. I'm sorry though, this fic is not supposed to be Yaoi so no HisoIllu here xDDD I ship them but I dont know how to write yaoi so hehehe xDDDD

 **Milye6 :** *inhales-exhales* first off let me break down my replies into bullets (thankies!)  
1.) Palm is not kidnapped xD Whatever happened to her is written in this new chappie xD  
2.) True enough xD The cover gives off a rather negative and darker impression for the readers but I'm kinda lazy to look for an appropriate cover so if you have a pic you can suggest (please, I dont like fanarts) I would consider ( ^u^)  
3.) There are only a few parts in here with subliminal adult humour in it so dont worry about it xD  
4.) The word prolly is a clipping or abbreviation of the word probably (derived from the slurred pronounciation of the whole word itself). It's usually used informally, back then particularly in texts and online conversations which was nowadays widely used even colloquially. Sorry if it bothers you xD I cant help but use it specially when the speaker is informally speaking xD I use the whole word though when I'm not writing POV's xD  
5.) It is entirely appropriate to write the numbers in words in literature. However, it also has rules and exemptions on when to use the hindu-arabic characters only (.ie you must write the number in words if it starts the sentence... etc). Personally though, in general I prefer to write solely in the hindu arabic characters because I'm a lazy ass and I don't follow a lot of rules specially that I categorize fanfictions as informal writing xDDDDD (Idk tho, you might also catch me sometime writing the whole word xD)  
* PHEW! *  
Thanks for pointing them out xD I hope you'd still read the next chapters xDDD This sequel was actually a bit too different from the prequel so I'm not too sure how people would take it xD

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4**

 **-THE BACKSTORY 1-**

 _(CONTINUATION OF THE LONG FLASHBACK)_

"What are you doing here and who are you!" He hastily inquired. "Answer me or I'll slit your throat..."

"You sure are a newbie to Nen..." She answered back calmly. "Are you aware about the difference in our levels?"

"SHUT UP! I'M ASKING YOU! ARE YOU ONE OF HIS..."

Even before the guy could finish his words, his head flew away separating itself from his body, showering the grass with fresh, scarlet blood.

"What?... How?" Palm, confused, looked around as she raised her guards up... at the same time terrified of what she has witnessed.

AND ANOTHER ONE WAS ABOUT TO ATTACK HER FROM BEHIND!

She turned her back and formed a stance to prepare for an attack, however...

SWISH SWISH SWISH!

It rained needles all over covering the other assailant in it to his miserable demise.

She suddenly felt a very strong presence with a strong aura around the vicinity! And a huge number of assailants are about to attack!

To use clairvoyance or not? Palm was debating with her mind... "No... I will draw the attention of the strong presence the moment it figures out it is being watched..."

They started to appear one by one in front of her while a mysterious man with long jet black hair and pale skin has emerged from the shadows.

"That ominous aura... it belongs to him!" She thought as she trembled in fear and confusion. "And he was the one responsible for the death of these two...!" Palm clenched her fist, getting herself ready for a peril to come her way.

"I must... protect myself..."

* * *

"HAAAAH!" Knuckle growled growing out of patience. "OOHKAY! THAT'S IT! She's 2 hours late!"

"She's not answering her phone either..." Ikalgo shrugged.

"Hold it..." Spin interrupted as an ominous vibe started to fill the area. Kite who was resting in the corner, lying on the couch was awakened by the said presence.

"It's coming from the door!" Meleoron said.

"Eh?" Knuckle, still ticked, raised a brow.

"This vibe... is familiar..." Shoot uttered as they all locked their eyes on the door whilst an overcast of black undetermined aura started to reek from it.

Knock Knock.

They stared at each other, pushing each other on who gets the door.

Knock Knock.

"I don't get what the hell of an aura is this... It felt like the undead!" Ikalgo added.

The lights started to flicker that eventually went off leaving the whole place in pitch black darkness.

They gave each other terrified looks. It's not the same sensation they feel when there's a strong presence... but rather SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T LIVE AT ALL... Something ghastly, beyond human power and recognition...!

Knock knock.

"That was the third knock!" Meleoron and Ikalgo quivered as sweat started to form in their foreheads while the rest were on guard, preparing for something unexpected. Kite though resumed resting and remained lying down the couch despite the commotions.

"I'll get it." Colt marched forward passing through them, followed by Koala.

He slowly clicked the knob and pulled the door open...

...to reveal nothing.

"Eh?" Confused, Colt and Koala looked around to see no one.

And from the door slowly emerged an obscure image of an emaciated woman in a dress... with long, scraggly unruly hair covering her face, glowing red orbs and grey, dehydrated skin...

"Sorry... it took me long..." She spoke in a ghastly, lethargic, hoarse tone.

 **"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

* * *

"Are you REALLY sure t-that's... HER?!" Ikalgo leaned to Knuckle whispering to him while they watched the ghastly woman from afar as she prepared the ingredients for dinner.

"Mm-hm..." Knuckle nodded. "That's how she used to look like before she became an ant."

"I'm surprised her appearance drastically changed when she became an ant. It's been a long time since the last we have seen her looking and acting like that..." Shoot added. "That was like last year before the ant hunt."

All of them, including Kite's team lined up behind the kitchen door, taking a peak of Palm's ghastly 'new look' or rather 'real look'.

"Hm... Hahahaha..." Palm was giggling to herself as apparently she was watching someone with her right hand on her right eye while her left hand chopped some meat with a crooked butcher knife on a varying, spontaneous speed and strength. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The whole kitchen started to reek and get surrounded by that the same horrendous aura giving the whole place a negative, cringe-worthy vibe.

"She's maniacally laughing..." They all gave her a horrified look. "She seems to be watching someone..."

"So you guys mean, she's NORMALLY like... that?" Meleoron raised a brow.

"Yeah..." Knuckle nodded. "She's usually like that specially when stressed or tensed. And she's bound to have psychotic outbreaks like that every now and then..." He eventually walked out, putting his hands behind his neck. "Don't worry, she's fine." And then he sat back on the couch, followed by Shoot.

"It's just an outbreak. She either was disappointed or upset about something before she headed here. It will pass..." Shoot added.

"Yeah... 'Fine'... If that's how you define 'Fine'..." Stick and his puns again.

"I don't see that as anything 'fine'..." Banana and the rest agreed. "She looked like she's about to eat someone alive...!"

Palm suddenly quit laughing and chopping. The aura started to alleviate as well leaving the place quiet for a little while.

"She stopped..." They whispered to each other.

Palm's neck twitched like a goose with a broken neck as she gave out a single strong blow to the meat, spludging blood all over the walls... "No..." She was uttering to herself as she slowly turned back to look behind her.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" They paced away and scattered around just to save their dear lives from being sacrificed to the devil by the mysterious, ghastly woman whom Kunckle and Shoot claims to be Palm.

"Noooooo!" She continued groaning atrociously, repeatedly saying 'no' as she resumed chopping some meat now with an accelerating, orgasmic speed. "Hahahaha! STOOOP!" She giggled. "I MUST NOT SEE THIS! This is too private! I MUST NOT SEE IT! (Giggles demonically)"

Steam started to rush out of her ears before she slowly melted down to the floor like she had legs made of jellos. "He's just so... ohhhhh~~~"

* * *

"I've noticed this strange power was watching me, but I can't sense a presence around..."

The mysterious man with long, jet black hair sat on the couch after fastening his robe while talking to someone on the other line through his phone. His other hand holding a shotglass filled with liquor. He took a sip before uttering another statement as he overlooked the city from the glass wall of a room located in a mansion on top of a mountain.

"It has been watching me for hours eversince I got my quota for today's mission completed." He added. "The unknown entity stopped right when I took my robe off to take a shower."

"Ooooh... Looks like there's something interesting I have missed out while we haven't hang out for the past few months... " The person on the other line asked. "Is this why you called?"

"Yep..." He took the final sip then placed the empty shotglass on the desk nearby. "I presume you're free right?"

"Of course... I'm always free for anything that's fun to do."

"Good. Cuz we have a lot of 'fun' to do... I'll tell you the whole thing tomorrow..."

"I like that... (giggle) I will be waiting then...!"

* * *

"Do you think it's Knov?" Asked Shoot to Knuckle. "She used to like Knov right?"

"No idea... She never had this outbreak eversince she became an ant." Knuckle answered. "And we haven't gone in a mission together with them so I dunno..."

They continued discussing as they finally ate. The rest were a bit quiet like they were'nt really enjoying the food.

"Oi oi! What's up with those faces! We rarely get to eat like this!" Knuckle called them out. Kite's team and the ants appeared to be dumbfounded after the strange events that happened just this evening except for Kite himself, Colt and Koala who seemed unaffacted and unshaken.

The whole dining room was filled still with that ominous, ghastly aura while Palm in the background was sitting alone in the corner, giggling to herself, still seemingly watching someone with her clairvoyance, oozing flying black hearts everywhere. "AHAHAHAHAHA! Nooo~~~ Stoop~!"

"This could've been a great meal without this negative vibe reeking inside the room..." Spin said.

"How can you be fine eating like that with all these ominous aura surrounding us?" Ikalgo seconded.

"The aura is ominous but I don't sense any malicious or murderous intent." Kite spoke out. "There's nothing to worry about. I can guarantee it's still Palm herself with us."

"Nothing to 'worry' about!?" The rest excluding Knuckle and Shoot protested.

"The aura she gives off at the moment was pretty much different from the ones we used to encounter when she's upset. I'd say she looks happy right now that she got so tensed, she can't contain herself, thus the outbreak..." Shoot explained.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Palm screamed ballistically interrupting their discussion on the dining table. She cupped her face with her hands, shaking her head side to side frantically. "SO THAT'S IT! THIS... IS... IT... THIS IS IT...~~! I MUST... I MUST...~~ Hahahahahahaha!" She maniacally laughed, throwing out the knife she was holding, while she stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut leaving a trail of floating, black hearts behind.

The rest shrugged at each other before proceeding back to their meals, still disturbed by the echoing demonic laughter and the outbreaks Palm gave off from upstairs...

 **"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~~~!"**

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER 4**


	5. The Backstory 2

**DISCLAIMER :** Following the word itself "fanfiction", I do not own anything in this fiction and credits belong to the rightful creators of the manga: TOGASHI YOSHIHIRO, the publisher, the broadcasting companies of the anime both 1999 original version and 2011 remake - Nippon Animation and Madhouse, respectively and etc.

* * *

 **REPLIES TO COMMENTS**

 **Kaori Jade :** No,... thank you for reading and also you 're welcome!

 **Sakura Petal :** Yay, thanks!

 **Milye6 :** There's actually one photo of them two I used to have which would make a better cover than this one but sadly can;t find it cuz it got accidentally deleted from my phone T_T

* * *

 **CHAPTER 5**

 **-THE BACKSTORY 2-**

 _(CONTINUATION OF THE LONG FLASHBACK)_

Next day, afternoon.

"I found this on the kitchen counter..." Koala handed over to Kite a piece of note.

It said...

 _"I'm sorry I'm not gonna be able to cook dinner for you guys tonight. I left early because I'll be heading to the Republic of Padokea. I found a job opportunity in an estate on top of the Kukkuroo Mountain as a Personal Butler. I would be working for Killua's younger sister Alluka as the estate I was talking about was a property of the Zoldycks and I thought it wouldn't be bad if I grab the said opportunity while I didn't have much missions as a Hunter at the moment. I haven't told Knov-sensei yet about it, but I'll be informing him as soon as I can._

 _Don't worry, I would still visit during my day-off and will still cook meals for you guys! See ya!_

 _-Palm"_

* * *

"Kukkuroo Mountain?" They spoke in unison.

Kunckle and Shoot have left and Kite with his team and the ants were all discussing the strange events that have happened yesterday up to this afternoon.

"Yup." Kite nodded. "You heard it right."

"But..." Spin uttered. "That's where the legendary assassins live right?"

"Yeah. But she said she would be working for Killua's sibling and she's pretty close to Killua so she can maybe use the connection for her own safety. Or rather she grabbed the job because of Killua's sister."

"But why the sudden?"

"I have no idea..." Kite answered. "I am not too sure if it has a connection with what we heard from her this morning and the thing that happened last night..."

* * *

 _This morning._

 _"Well... it wasn't much of a big deal..."_

 _They all gathered around the table finally with Palm sitting with them. They finally got her to talk as to why the drastic change. They were all quiet, listening to Palm as she told her story._

 _"My life was on the line back then..." She continued as she poured some tea into a tea cup from a kettle._

 _"I was outnumbered and they all seem to be ready to kill everyone in their way. They appeared like either they are chasing something or someone or the other way around... It was pretty vague from my point of view..." She started to add some sugar into it._

 _"They were battling with this assailant... and the assailant was..." She paused for a while as her subtle expression started to intensify... Her hands trembled as she poured more sugar into her tea. "He was..." She continued stuttering. "He was..."_

 _"He was... what?" Knuckle asked growing a little impatient._

 _"His hair was long... he was tall and has a pale complexion... he moved gracefully with the wind, smoothly, precisely... he had a good balance between agility, accuracy and strength, like a perfcet combat machine... his silky long hair waved with him as he spun to every direction... and his scent... his scent was..."_

 _"WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PEOPLE WHO ATTEMPTED TO KILL YOU!?" Knuckle cut her off._

 _"Oh sorry (giggle)" Palm added more sugar. "Well... the first two died..." She scooped for more sugar enough for its heaps to emerge from the surface._

 _"Umm your tea..." Banana finally spoke for the rest who were all disturbed by the crazy amounts of sugar she added into her tea._

 _"Oh, yes, sorry again... I think this is enough..." She carefully lifted the tea cup and sipped until it was empty. They all cringed as they watched her wiping the excess tea on the sides of her chapped lips with a napkin nearby. "I did not even have to move an inch back then... he did all of the work... even before I could execute an attack to defend myself from those grunts as I watched him battle with a huge number of them... even if I was strong enough to kill all of them by myself..."_

 _"So, you are trying imply that this mysterious man saved you?" Kite asked._

 _"OH, NO NO NO! It's not what I mean!" She frantically shook her head in denial. "It's not that I'm trying to say that he actually intended to save me or anything because he grew the same feelings or..., it was just that... he was..." She stopped talking for some seconds as it appears that she was getting more and more flustered the further she moved on with her story. "I... I think I needed to get some fresh air..." She stood up and ran outside of the room leaving a trail of black hearts._

 _They looked at each other and shrugged.  
_

* * *

"But how would it relate?" Mon asked in behalf of the rest who were listening.

"I have no idea. It could be that the mysterious man she was talking about this morning told her about the job opportunity." Kite explained. "However, it was a little impossible because it appears that she was unable to converse with the mysterious man. The details of the story were poorly told and connected that I cannot grasp enough ideas from it."

"But I'm pretty sure these bizarre events are related one way or another." Meleoron suggested.

"Wait!" Ikalgo interrupted. "If that's the case, I am not too sure about Killua embracing the idea of his friend working at their household..."

"Eh?"

"Yeah... I mean, he spoke about their household badly. It's just a thought but you know, as the legendary assassins they are, the Zoldycks have a lot of secrets they had to keep in. Even Killua's sister herself was a family secret. Remember how high the security was back then when Killua had his sister heal Gon last year? Knowing Killua, I bet he doesn't want any of his friends get involved to their family matters." Ikalgo explained.

"Hmm... for sure I remembered Killua saying he already quit being an assassin and have already cut off his affiliations with the family's business..." Spin said.

"We can all assume that." Kite agreed. "Connecting it to the incident with the mysterious man, it could also be that the mysterious man holds the key as to how Palm heard of the vacancy. I think it has got something to do about what or who she has been watching last night with her clairvoyance..."

"Or that man could've been the one she was watching... who knows?" Stick added.

"She seems to have a thing for that mysterious man..." Banana suggested. "Do you think it is possible that the man works somewhere nearby the estate? I mean, it could be that upon watching him, she saw and heard about the job and to get closer to him she chose to grab the job opportunity..."

"Mm-hmm... it makes all sense." Kite nodded. "If Killua's sister really was her purpose, her behaviour and reactions since last night were pretty off. The man was probably one of the reasons why she grabbed the opportunity under the pretext of working for Killua's sibling. Regardless, it was dangerous. The man could be either working for the family, or stays near the estate and to get closer to him she decided to apply for the vacancy. According to the vague details Palm stated, the man appears to be involved with the underground affairs. If any of them figures out her intention or mistook it for something much more malicious, she could get into huge trouble, either getting herself dragged into the man's perilous affairs or even the man himself will be the one to dispose of her. We cannot let that happen..."

"But according to her story, the man seemed to have saved her right?" Mon asked.

"Yeah. We can rule out the idea of the mysterious man disposing of her. We can pretty much assume that the man might even get attached to her over the time if she gets succesful with her plans on getting closer to him. That is, if fate considers it. There can be a lot of odds that would come her way. But we can still not ignore the possibility that still, one way or another, the mysterious man might get her into trouble or worse, might cause her demise."

"Shall we tell it to Killua?" Meleoron asked.

"We cannot until we gather further information. I feel like there's something we're missing out..." Kite concluded. "For now, we had to keep in touch with her to assure her safety and at the same gather more information. We still had to figure out the identity of the mysterious man, and what he has to do with the Zoldycks."

* * *

Late at night.

"So... we meet again." A tall guy in his late twenties to early thirties with blood-red hair greeted.

He was sitting somewhere at the edge of the rooftop, overlooking the city and the glimmering night lights as he looked back to someone who was approaching him.

"Sorry I was late. Had a lot of emergency to attend to." The approaching person apologized.

It was the mysterious man with long black hair. He stood by the edge of the rooftop besides the redheaded guy. "It's been a long time..." The redhead responded.

"You consider two months to be long huh..." The mysterious man answered. "You seemed bored. Not having much action lately?"

"You can say it that way... I have invested a lot of time in my fruits and fate seems to betray me..."

"That's great."

"Is that supposed to be an understatement?" The redhead smirked, lifting a brow.

"Nope. I was implying that I just hit you up at the right moment."

"Make sure it'd be worth it (giggle)."

"It is..."

"So, how's you? How's your dilemma with your brothers lately? Finally found a way to get yourself out of your family bugging you about your civil status?"

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER 5**


	6. The Backstory 3 (end of flashbacks)

**DISCLAIMER :** Following the word itself "fanfiction", I do not own anything in this fiction and credits belong to the rightful creators of the manga: TOGASHI YOSHIHIRO, the publisher, the broadcasting companies of the anime both 1999 original version and 2011 remake - Nippon Animation and Madhouse, respectively and etc.

* * *

 **REPLIES TO COMMENTS**

 **Guest :** Thanks ^^

 **Milye6 and Hisokasnipples :  
(I prefer to write my response here cuz I'm too shy to inbox xD This response will also go for the rest who were reading this that had the same concern)  
**  
Well, I'm sorry if it was not what you guys were expecting or anything. First off I have been warning everyone since the first fic that this sequel is a totally different genre and would be quite long due to the wide range of characters involved and the broad and intricate storyline compared to the first fic which only involved our favorite brothers hence this one appears to progress a lot slower and requires a lot of attention to even the smallest details of the story as it has a lot to do about everything that goes on within otherwise it would definitely appear to be confusing and boring. The characters you guys wanted to see hasn't appeared yet at the moment sooo, yep, basically what you have read by now are minor yet important details.

Yes, this has inner dialogues and rants from Killua pertaining to the things that have happened in the first fic since this is written under the pace and point of view of Killua after the Time Travel thingy.

Yes, this is indeed in connection with the first fic and contains a lot of references from it and further explanations about the events that have happened there. This particular sequel explains and narrates what Killua has left behind meanwhile being in the Time Travel thingy and what will he come back to. So this contains a lot of flashbacks.

No, Illumi is not gonna say anything about the Time Travel thing. Because what happened in the first fic were all meant to happen so nothing have changed in the present. Only Killua was the one affected about it. Illumi was already too bothered with a lot of problems to even remember that the mission Killua had left for that moment was the moment he (Killua) came back to the past to inadvertently ruin his (Illumi's) childhood.

In my part, since I was following an 8-9kb .txt file standard in every chapter I post, its seems to confuse you guys further so I merged 4 related chapters for this long flashback about what happened on the other side before the time travel thing. I hope this would help so you guys wont have a hard time keeping track of the details (just in case you would still continue reading this one). I'll be doing the same for the next related Chapters as well. The only reason I reached up to chapter 45 of this fic up to now anyway was because of the 8kb standard I'm following. XDDDD And I admit, I update pretty slow xDDD

If you have questions or a particular part where you were still confused, you are free to ask me directly.  
And (spoiler alert), if you see anything you perceive to be a 'romance' thing within this fic, you got it all wrong xD Its not what you guys think.

So peace out, and I hope you'd still read despite the length. XD This story hasn't begun yet xDDDD Our main guys have'nt showed up.

Just reminding again,  
 **EVERYTHING** in this chapter except after the one that said "end of long flash back" has happened a month before the time travel thing in the first fic.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 6**

 **-THE BACKSTORY 3-**

 _(CONTINUATION OF THE LONG FLASHBACK)_

"So, how's you? How's your dilemma with your brothers lately? Finally found a way out of your family bugging you about your civil status?"

The red headed guy, Hisoka asked tauntingly.

"It's not getting any better. I'd rather say it's getting a bit worse. After I got home from surrendering to Dad's challenge, they had been much more persistent about the civil status issue."

"Oh... do tell... (giggle)"

The mysterious, long haired man, Illumi Zoldyck finally sat besides the red headed guy, Hisoka.

"Five months ago just after I arrived back home, they sent me to meet another candidate. To make the story short, I had to use my connections to blackmail her and force her to cancel the deal and decline. However, some weeks after, they sent me another one and luckily we are in the same situation so we teamed up to sabotage the contract ending it up in its termination. Things went pretty neat with them ocassionally introduce at least one woman per month and me always getting a way out of it until they had this client just 2 months ago..."

"Hahahaha... I feel jealous about you getting introduced to a lot of women every now and then... If I was you, I could've used the opportunities before cutting the strings off... (chuckle)"

"That's YOU. Not ME."

"You take it too seriously... that was a joke... you know there's only one girl I wanted to wrestle around with..."

"She's obviously not into you."

"And that's why Im into her... (smirk)"

"Can I proceed to my story now?"

"Sure... You're so tense, I thought of brightening up the mood, but it doesn't seem to work, Aight, proceed..."

"We had this client whom I was the one assigned to execute his order. After executing the job succesfully, he issued us a check in which it bounced right the date it was supposed to be transferred to my account. Sudden bankruptcy was the client's excuse and had Dad and Gramps negotiate with him in my place. It happened that instead of giving us collaterals while allowing him to save money so he can pay the full amount at a given time, he opened a bargain to Dad and Gramps in which they accorded."

"And that bargain was...?"

"His daughter." Illumi paused for a little while. "He has this family secret and it was his daughter. His daughter was hidden from public and was never revealed. Not even in their legal papers and such. She has this Special Ability that Dad and Gramps believe to be very useful to our assassination business which was why they accorded. Just like Alluka, this woman was locked up due to her uncontrollable ability. Dad and Gramps think, if I would breed with her, not only I would make use of her power, freely making her my own puppet and breeding center, but also would make a more powerful next generation..."

"Hahah! Did you just use the word 'breed'? (stifles)"

Illumi just sat there, staring at Hisoka as he was about to die choking his laughter back in. "Are you done?"

"(cough) Seriously, you need to get some experience... I have never tried my own specie yet, but if you'd be the first I'd gladly share the experience with you (giggle)..."

Illumi stared back at Hisoka right into the eyes, seemingly growing impatient despite the impassive reaction.

"Don't look at me like that... I was just kidding." Hisoka carried on stifling his laughter. "Wasn't that the best condition? Having a new puppet to toy around with?"

"I won't let this one succeed. The woman wasn't worth toying around with. There's no game when there's no resistance. On the other side of it, they are putting the family to a risk just to get me tied up."

"Makes a lot of sense. Specially when they're trying to put an outsider into the family tree. There really ARE a lot of risks."

"They are still discussing it with me and were waiting for my final decision. They gave me 2 months to decide on it before finally closing the deal. If I agree, they'll finally take the woman as our possession and have me breed with her within a month. I repeat, BREED. Not Marry. No legal proofs of having her within a family, just a breeding slave. Then the guy's debt will be forgotten."

"Haha, breeding slave huh? Maybe, sex slave? (giggle) I'm still amused about your stoical response to those matters... Moving on, and if you don't agree?"

"They'll cancel the deal and have the guy killed and sent for organ and cadaver donation and his daughter as an experimental subject to underground research institutions to pay for his debts. Sounds safe right? Unfortunately, it's not. I must have already someone to introduce to the family by the time I decline the deal."

"Tough choice..." Hisoka rested his chin on his clasped hands.

"Isn't it? They're playing another game on me. Their real goal is that they wanted me to find my own."

"Hmmm... You should know by now where did you inherit that bad habit of playing mind games with people (giggle)..."

"You see, they keep on introducing me to a lot of candidates from ridiculous bakgrounds. Most of them are from the Mafia Community. Our family never have plans on getting associated to any family line. We must keep our bloodline pure by only tying up with women who had no family backgrounds and affiliations. That is to ensure our family's security. By introducing me to women with ridiculous backgrounds, Dad and Gramps knew that I would certainly protest against it and do something about it, in the end trapping me into the corner where I would finally be pursuading myself to go find one on my own to stop this. The 2 month grace period given to me was not to 'decide' but actually TO FIND my own partner..."

"You know you can't defeat them... let me remind you the hell you've been through a couple of months ago..."

Illumi narrowed his eyes at Hisoka who refused to be reminded of how he suffered before admitting defeat to a game his Dad has played with him just a couple of months ago pertaining to this issue wherein he was forced back to go home, broke and thwarted.

"This is why I'm perplexed and infuriated about it. The real deal here is I can't let myself get tied up to anyone, let alone have children."

"Yeah... you've been telling me that ever since your family has started to pursuade you on making your own."

"I needed a break. For all of my life, all I did was handle children and stick with my family to the point I don't even fancy having my own. I've been loyal to the family's code for 27 long years. If there's one rule I had to break, it would be this one."

"To think you haven't even succeeded on your two brothers. Speaking of Alluka and Killua, how're they doing?"

"Kil was out on a mission with his friends. As for Alluka, I finally gone tired of his parasitic twin that I finally had to hire a butler who can train and take care of him at the same time. His requests are getting out of hand..."

* * *

 _"Aniki!" Alluka jumped in front of Illumi who just came back from his mission first hour in the morning._

 _He watched Alluka wrap her arms around him tight. "I haven't seen you for weeks! I have learned a lot of new things and did all of my homework!"_

 _"Great!" Illumi faked a smile as he ran his fingers through her hair. "You do listen to what Aniki say. Good girl."_

 _"(giggle)..." She stayed that way for a few moments until she finally started to ask something. "Aniki... pat my head..."_

 _"Sure..." Illumi, still exhausted from his mission unapparent by his unchanging facial expression tried to keep his cool and did as what he was asked._

 _"Aniki... carry me..."_

 _"Sure..." Illumi bent down and lifted her._

 _"(giggle) Aniki is so tall..."_

 _He knew that if Alluka asks too much, this is not her but Nanika. He carried her as he walked along the hallway towards his room. He finally stopped the moment he reached the door and put her down carefully. "There ya go. Aniki is tired so he needs to get some sleep..."_

 _She did not respond but instead, kept on smiling at him and tugging on his hair. "Aniki... let me play with your hair..."_

 _Illumi paused for a while staring at Alluka while vicariously slaughtering her in his mind. He was extra sensitive and irritated as he was tired and he just wanted to get some sleep and now THIS._

 _"(sigh) Alright..."_

 _"YAY!"_

 _He pushed the door open followed by Alluka who instantly ran to his dresser, grabbed a hairbrush, some hair cream and a handful of hairclips before she jumped to his bed, swinging her legs up and down._

 _It all started a couple of months ago when Killua and Alluka finally came back after almost a year of being away from home as Killua claimed he will save Alluka out of the dungeon they locked her up from and take her on a journey. Strangely, Alluka probably ran tired of the outside world and realized how it was too cruel, complicated and dangerous for her to live in that she finally sought for the comfortability and safety of her own home and missed her old friends which was her plush toys._

 _Killua yielded to Alluka's request and vowed to still protect her while she's back in their home as he still oftenly goes in and out of the mansion to see his friends._

 _In accordance to that, his family finally set Alluka free however, also imposed to have Alluka take classes and get trained solely for self-defense only. They believe even if Alluka was not obliged to participate in the assassination business, she still needed to learn to defend and keep herself safe from potential harm especially that she was the most vulnerable family member in reference to the peril that she and Killua have encountered while on their journey. They assigned Illumi for the task as Killua is still not eligible for it considering Killua's lack of consistency on his skills._

 _Killua considered this as a huge threat as he knew that Illumi have always looked forward to the day he can finally control Nanika freely on his own alongside with Killua himself. So to prevent this from happening, Killua thought of a plan._

 _Killua issued Nanika a command. And it was a long-term one. It was NEVER to grant wishes from anyone. SPECIALLY FROM ANIKI, STRICTLY. She can request as much as she can but can never grant a wish. In that case, she is stuck with level 1 requests however, if anyone denies, the same procedure will still follow resulting to the death of the denier. With an "Aii~!" from her, Killua was dead sure that even if he leaves her someday for some emergency, Illumi won't stand a chance on trying to control her. Nanika is an entity far beyond Nen and not even Illumi's puny needles can do something about her requests. She can control Alluka's body and soul, but not Nanika. And if he does try to put pins on Alluka, a little command from Nanika can always settle it._

 _Illumi aniticipated this and did his own research. His main goal was to be able to obtain the power of authority on issuing commands to Nanika just like Killua without using Manipulative Nen tricks. And apparently, he came up with one theory. He thought it was emotional attachment that makes Killua the exception to Nanika's rules._

 _Illumi thought if he carried on doing her requests and be nice to her, he would eventually gain her emotional attachment in which he was actually succesful._

 _"Aniki's hair is sooo smooth!" Alluka nuzzled on Illumi's hair while tying more random clumps of it making him a perfect personification of the word 'disaster'. "And smells soo sweet too!"_

 _His eyes started to feel heavy while having someone fiddle with his hair considering he was already exhausted and used up, however he tried his best never to give in and fall asleep._

 _"Ai~!" Alluka put the hairclips and the hairbrush down. "Aniki!" She shook his shoulders... "Look!" She shoved a mirror in front of him to show him her 'masterpiece'. Perfect. It was rather a visual representation of the word 'catastrophe' than 'disaster', denoting a much higher degree of atrocity..._

 _"Coool!" Illumi tried his best not to snap, giving her a wry, bitter smile, patting her head. "Good... job!"_

 _"(giggle)..."_

 _"Can I take this off now?"_

 _She did not respond. Like the former, she just stared at him as she was smiling, leaning forward to him. "I love Aniki...!"_

 _He took a deep breath trying to contain his impatience. He placed his hand on her head, thinking of gripping it like he was about to twist her head off of her neck._

 _But no. He can't. "Aniki loves you too... even though he's not getting anything from keeping up with your caprice..."_

 _"I'm sooo happy!" She giggled gleefully. "Aniki... you now play with my hair too!" She handed him over the remaining hairclips and the hairbrush._

 _That's it! This is the last straw. Alluka already asked for three requests and this is the fourth one._

 _"Alluka..." He stressfully spoke, however concealing it with a calm, softer tone. "Aniki is tired. He needs to get some sleep, We will play later okay?"_

 _She pouted. "Oh... You don't wanna play?"_

 _He knew to himself he can't deny her requests. No matter how he just wanted to throw her out of the window right now and finally get some sleep, he just took the hairbrush and the hairclips anyway. "Just kidding..." He faked another smile as he eventually sat behind her and began brushing her hair._

* * *

"Eversince Kil told him to stop granting wishes from people, he just kept on asking me level 1 requests without turning himself into wish granting mode. It's infuriating..."

Unfortunately, his theory was a fatal mistake. Regardless the emotional attachment Nanika developed for Illumi upon hanging out with him for some time, Killua was STILL the highest authority for Nanika so Killua's preceding command was irrevocable and now Illumi was stuck with her undeniable requests that has gotten in his way quite a number of times already without even getting any wish granted in return.

"But, it's just level 1 requests... they're too easy. Why not just do all of them anyway. After all, it was one of the risks your theory has got yourself into. You can't do anything about it anymore."

"That's what I was doing, thinking persistence might do the trick and sooner or later gaining authority too to issue commands on him. Until that day a week before Kil left for his mission."

* * *

 _"Anikiii!"_

 _Alluka was running behind Illumi as Illumi was about to open the gates. "Aniki! I'm glad I was able to catch you!"_

 _Morning. He was about to leave for a day-long mission. It was pretty strange to see Alluka around the vicinity of the Testing Gates. She still doesn't have enough strength to run from the mansion down to the gate._

 _"What's up?" Illumi turned to face her and asked, foreseeing another pain in the neck is about to come._

 _"Aniki, give me a piggy-back ride...!"_

 _He raised a brow, staring at her for a little while before sitting down to her level. "I can't... Aniki is going out on a mission... Let's just do that later when Aniki comes back okay?"_

 _"Oh... you don't want to?" She pouted._

 _This passive-aggressive question again of pursuasion. How can he say no to that cute, helpless face when he knows he's gonna get squeezed to death LITERALLY if he did so?_

 _Illumi stood up. "Show's over Kil. I have no time for your jokes. I really need to go otherwise I'd be late..."_

 _He knew all along that Alluka can't go down to the gates by herself so it's only Killua who can bring her to it at an overwhelming speed, even arriving first before Illumi did._

 _"She wanted to see you..." Killua reverted back to his normal state from Zetsu mode as he finally marched forward to them from hiding behind a tree. "I can't say no to her. The deaths upon denial of her requests are out of my control."_

 _Illumi raised a brow. Of all the times, why NOW?_

 _"It's not much of a big deal anyways. She just wanted a piggy back ride. You started this after all..." Killua added._

 _"Sure, I have finally gained her affection, but why is it again that I am often in a hurry? I had to double my workload because one of our family members quit and decided to follow his own 'whims'..." Illumi locked his eyes through Killua's as tension started to form in between them._

 _"Okay then..." Alluka spoke out, interrupting the argument that was brewing in between her brothers. "Can I just go with you to your mission?"_

* * *

 _"This was the first time you have been so careless about your mission." Silva crossed his arms. He sat across Illumi who just came from the mission Alluka demanded to accompany him._

 _"I apologize." Illumi voiced out motionlessly, still with his usual soulless gaze. "Alluka insisted. We all know we cannot deny his requests otherwise he would ask for something worse than the preceding."_

 _"I know that!" Silva grunted. "If you had been a little more heedful to his requests, he couldn't have asked for something as risky as that! He almost got hostaged and you actually caused casualties!"_

 _"I took care of the hostage incident at once even right before the assailant could do anything. I was too preoccupied I did not realize I can put his requests on hold by leaving at once then getting back at him later." He bowed his head down as a sign of apology._

 _"Make sure that preoccupation of yours has a valid purpose. You don't want me to remind you again... It was almost a week since I opened that deal to you..."_

* * *

"I was completely peeved about it... It was Kil's idea to just pursue on Alluka's request as he offered to guard him for me when in reality he was just guarding Alluka from me and wanted to pester me further..." Illumi continued. "Other than failing my personal expectations and standards on that mission all because of Killua's favorite brother and his parasitic twin who has been constantly pestering me with his nonsensical requests, and Killua too who consent Nanika's whims making things even worse, Dad and Gramps have also been putting me under the pressure about the deal, both vicariously and directly."

* * *

 _"Alluka..." He stressfully spoke, however concealing it with a calm, softer tone. "Aniki is tired. He needs to get some sleep, We will play later okay?"_

 _She pouted. "Oh... You don't wanna play?"_

 _He knew to himself he can't deny her requests. No matter how he just wanted to throw her out of the window right now and finally get some sleep, he just took the hairbrush and the hairclips anyway. "Just kidding..." He faked another smile as he eventually sat behind her and began brushing her hair._

 _"I love Aniki... (giggle)"_

 _Illumi, holding his bursting temper down inside, did not respond and carried on brushing Alluka's hair despite the desperate need of a deep, rewarding rest._

 _After a couple of brush strokes, Illumi grabbed a hairclip to tie a random clump of her hair he held with his other hand when she suddenly fell down the bed, with her eyes closed. She actually fell asleep while he was busy brushing her hair._

 _Illumi stared at her as she was sleeping sound in his bed. He was furious yet can't do anything about it. "The nerve to fall asleep in MY BED even before I COULD. I was the one who needed a goddamn rest..." He muttered as he stood up from the bed and vexedly pulled the hairclips off his hair one by one, throwing them down the floor._

 _He then bent down to scoop her up from the bed and carried her in his arms, making his way out of his room. "And now I even had to bring him back to his room, dammit..."_

 _"I want to have soft hair like Aniki too..." She slurred in her sleep as she was being carried by Illumi back to her room._

 _He endured the signals his body gave him to drop down the bed and take some rest. His body felt limp and his head felt light. The mission was pretty tough and he wasn't getting enough sleep lately, to be exact, it was almost two weeks since the last time he took his last nap._

 _"So you finally came back..." He heard someone spoke behind him. It was Zeno._

 _Illumi turned his back to watch Zeno walk towards him. "Looking a little out of sorts, aye? Not getting enough rest or food?"_

 _"Yeah... Last week was pretty rough..." Illumi limitedly responded._

 _"You should definitely get some rest. We needed to discuss some matters to you later regarding on your following missions for this week. And where are you bringing him?"_

 _"Back to his room. He fell asleep in my room after he asked me to brush his hair."_

 _Zeno eyed him tauntingly form head to foot before finally speaking out._

 _"You would make a great dad... I can see it by how you take care of your siblings while trying to hold down your temper, sacrficing your own sake..." Zeno chuckled as he turned his back to finally move along. "You can take that as a reminder..."_

 _Illumi lifted a brow as he stood montionless on his tracks, growing more and more roiled about his situation, fuming in anger. His hands that carried Alluka trembled while trying his best to keep himself from exploding. He was getting crankier every time as his body has started to wear out. He simply can't wait to just get back to his room, lay down and take a damn rest._

 _His stoical nature however did not manifest any of those agitated demeanor as he kept moving._

 _After passing through a few blocks as he was to turn to the corner, he came across Killua._

 _"Aniki..." Killua gave him a suspicious glare._

 _"Out of my way Kil." Illumi impatiently ordered as he carried on walking without even looking back at Killua._

 _Killua, threatened of the ominous, furious vibe his brother gave off tried not to back out, still concerned of Alluka's safety._

 _"Where are you going to bring her!" Killua asked._

 _"To HIS goddamn room." He continued walking, ignoring Killua, leaving him behind._

 _"I'll do it." Killua ran up to him._

 _Illumi stared at Killua for a little while before conceding. "Great. Because I really need to get some rest." He stressfully spoke with a passive-aggressive monotone as he handed Alluka over to Killua before turning his back wordlessly then headed back to the hallway leading to his room._

 _The moment he was finally able to get back to his room, he finally rested his back on the warm comfort and caress of his bed, shook his foot to throw his shoes off to the wall and closed his oversized, soulless eyes._

 _"Finally..."_

 _Until he realized one thing._

 _He tossed around the bed restlessly despite the deep desire for a rewarding sleep. He realized, after wasting his time on Alluka's requests, he just lost the somnolence in spite of the physiological hints his body has been showing him that he already needed to rest. "GODDAMIT." He slammed his fist on the side table by his bed, shattering it and reached for his phone in his pocket, dialling._

 _"URGENT. Send me a strong sleeping pill you had in store. The one that could put me to sleep for at least 3 days. RIGHT NOW in my room."_

* * *

"I'm glad I did not have a family..." Hisoka remarked. "I'm surprised you haven't snapped out of your sanity yet..."

"THIS is exactly why I don't fancy getting married and having children."

"Makes a lot of sense... Commitments are a drag... Don't you think Karma's getting back at you for everything you did the past few years?"

"Prolly... (shrugs) Don't you get chased down by Karma as well?"

"Karma's my best friend... (chuckle)"

"The worst part there is, I can't kill him. Our family finally rescinded the restriction on him and considered him a part of the family once again after a decade of locking him up deep down in our mansion... It's in our family's code never to kill a family member."

"Soo... you're giving up on it?"

"Hell no." Illumi faced Hisoka, lifting a brow. "One more reason I don't want to proceed on making my own family yet was because of this unfinished business with Killua's favorite brother and his parasitic twin. All I needed to do is finally get a grip on their necks and label them as my possession then freely manipulating them according to my will. It will take some time, but for sure it would be worth it. I still have some problems to take care of and that issue can wait for longer."

"Indeed... Your brothers are forever attached with you. But that sex slave issue has a time bomb in it..."

"It's 'breeding slave'."

"Whatever..."

"In order to get away from Dad and Gramps' persistent reminders of the issue and Killua and Alluka's mischief, I decided to leave the house every now and then and return when only needed. Which explains why I'm here..."

"You mean, searching for your personal choice to introduce to your family for the following months? How about Alluka? Weren't you the one assigned to train him?"

"As I earlier mentioned I already posted an ad looking for a butler who would train him in my place. The qualifications are minimal. Anyone can be hired actually."

"Hold on..." Hisoka interrupted him. "Your main goal isn't finding someone who would train him in your place, but rather someone Alluka can divert his attention and attachment to, receiving all of his ridiculous requests in your place. Right?"

"You can tell..." Illumi nodded in agreement.

"You'll be sacrificing lives for your caprice huh..."

"They won't die if they just do whatever he says. After all they're just level 1 requests. There's no point in saying no. They're bound to follow whatever he says as he is the Master and they're just servants anyway... And if any of them dies, I could care less about it. It's easy to always hire a new one."

"Mm-hm..." Hisoka nodded. "So basically, your problem about your brothers are put on-hold. The last thing to worry about is the deal with your dad and grandfather... You should start looking right now (giggle)..."

"The point there is I don't want to. I am still contemplating on ways to get out of this neatly, making things go MY WAY without violating the rules of our family and still complying to our deal. There must be a way."

"The easiest way was already given to you. You just refuse to grab it."

"Just like you, I am not into commitments." Illumi drove away the stray locks of his hair and tucked them behind his ears. "Anyways, the real issue I wanted to discuss with you weren't the ones we discussed about earlier..."

"Oh... I think I get it... (smirk) Was that the unidentified entity who was watching you everywhere you go?"

"Yup..."

 _ **END OF THE VERY LONG FLASHBACK SINCE HALF OF CHAPTER 3**_

* * *

 _ **(Back to reality / the current time)  
**_

"Finally made it...!"

It was already dark. I haven't kept track of the time, but I'm pretty sure it's just around 8 in the evening or something.

I gasped for some air after running for quite a some time by the speed of light, rushing back home to save my friend from getting her life wasted out of a stupid decision... I stood motionless giving my body a rest. Although the only moment I got to have some rest was when I rode an airship to cross the sea, it's still not an easy task to run with your legs only from one continent to another traveling by the speed of light.

I stood in front of the Testing Gates.

"Welcome back, Bocchama!" Zeburo greeted me as I marched forward and pushed the gate open up to the 7th. I waved a hand to greet him back without looking back at him.

Palm... That damn wierd-ass bitch... Why of all the places, HERE? She should be aware by now, after a month of working in here that it was STRICTLY PROHIBITED to engage in a relationship with ANYONE while working as an employee in the household otherwise they'll both perish and get sentenced to death! Once they figured out she was here to follow her 'dreams' on meeting that mystery man who was allegedly staying close around the vicinity, it's a tragic ending for both of them... and I CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN!

I need to find out who that man is...

I need to find him before Aniki gets to figure things out and find the guy! That devil... he's the one who's in charge of looking out for employees who break the said rule... and he was the one who executes them as well...! He perceives everything even before anyone could realize it and the lawbreaker dies horribly before everyone knows.

But judging the amount of time that has passed eversince she have started working in here, I am pretty sure she have found the man and was currently keeping in touch with him every now and then. And that only means, she is now under surveillance by Aniki.

"Kil..."

I was too busy contemplating deeply into the situation that I did not notice I passed by someone.

It was a familiar voice.

"It's a surprise to see you here. You said your mission will take you two months..."

"Aniki..." I looked back at him.

* * *

 _"Let's make a deal." I thrusted my bleeding thumb towards him as a sign of my pledge._

 _"What for?"_

 _"JUST DO IT!" I nagged him that eventually convinced him to bite his tiny stubby thumb as well until it bled._

 _I pressed my bleeding thumb against his. Our blood started to mingle as it trickled down to the floor._

 _"Only death will impede me from fulfilling my obligations as you pledge to do whatever it takes to be the next heir under my supervision as my lifelong mission and obligation."_

 _He watched the droplets of blood hit the floor as I finally took my thumb off his._

 _"THERE! Pledge completed." I grabbed a hanky from my pocket to wipe my hand then wiping his as well. "That's a promise! You promise me to be a competent and worthy heir as I promise to never leave you and train you up to all of your potentials. Are we good?"_

 _"Mm-hm!" He smiled back at me. "I promise."_

* * *

 _"Tomorrow, okay?" He finally spoke before turning his lamp off as I walked out of the door._

 _"Sure, I promised!"_

 _I gave him a smile of assurance and watched him roll over to the side, turning his back on me as my last glimpse of him before closing the door._

* * *

There he is now. Strong and tall, like how the little devil I used to hang around with just last week have always wished to become. It felt different. The same yet different. Too close yet too far.

While I was taken up about Palm's impulsive act and how to help her out of getting into trouble, I actually forgot that I was still bleeding inside and that I can never undo the pain of irony and realization...

That I was one of the causes of mine and his misery...

That I was one of those who made him into the monster he is now who is standing right in front of me...

And his wish of him living in my heart forever have finally come to reality without him even realizing it. My conscience can never let go of the guilt. I just simply can't forgive myself. The scars would always remain. The one I inflicted on him and the one he inflicted on me.

* * *

 _"The tables turned around. What goes up must come down. You can't leave me again anymore..."_

* * *

"Something went wrong so it was cancelled halfway..." I answered him back indifferently after a few seconds of recalling everything.

"I see..." He uttered dismissively, finally turning his back and proceeded to his business. "I have to go..." He seemed to be still preoccupied about a lot of things that has been bothering him lately, specially the civil status issue.

He has been like this even before I left for the Time Travel Experiment last month...

And he was not behaving like the usual, in a way it appeared to be actually alarming for someone who knew him very well despite the indifferent behavior he often possesses.

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER 6**

 **NOTE :** Illumi refers to Alluka as a he but when he talks to her directly, he treats and addresses her as a girl (just in this story).

Basing from Episode 139 of the 2011 remake, I got the idea that Illumi was the one who executes butlers who engage in a relationship while being employed to the household.


	7. Symapthy

**DISCLAIMER :** Following the word itself "fanfiction", I do not own anything in this fiction and credits belong to the rightful creators of the manga: TOGASHI YOSHIHIRO, the publisher, the broadcasting companies of the anime both 1999 original version and 2011 remake - Nippon Animation and Madhouse, respectively and etc.

* * *

 **REPLIES TO COMMENTS**

 **Caliope07 :** I'm sorry but the women introduced to Illumi here are not really a part of the story so there's nothing more to be mentioned about them and they would never appear within the story nor have a single dialogue. I am not into inserting OC's sooo yep ^^.

 **Guest :** THEORETICALLY, since they are still humans, they still do get sick even if theyre immune to poison, drugs and to certain types and levels of physical pain. Most likely they have their own engineers, chemists and specialists at home who formulate customized materials and equipments for them both for their personal use and for their assassination/training purposes. Of course that includes medicines that are at a certain dosage that would take effect on them (which were of course already in lethal conetrations for normal humans). So yes. Sleeping pills do take effect on them ONLY if they were customized and manufactured by their own personal supplier for their own levels. Who knows, the only alcohol that could get them drunk is a bottle of highly toxic methanol mixed with flavoring xD

 **Milye06 :** It will take long till you figure out a lot of things because the story is set under the point of view and understanding of Killua and Illumi about the situation xD I will still entertain questions, but if its okay if you didnt wanna be spoiled either xDDDD

* * *

 **CHAPTER 7**

 **-SYMPATHY-**

He has been like this even before I left for the Time Travel Experiment last month...

And he was not behaving like the usual, in a way it appeared to be actually alarming for someone who knew him very well despite the indifferent behavior he often possesses.

* * *

 _(Last month...)_

 _The sky was dark. The moon shined brightly amidst the clouds as I made my way in between the woods in our estate. I was headed to the gates._

 _I'm leaving for York Shin to meet with Ging for an experiment for a new installment of a feature for Greed Island. I'm going to see Gon again and hopefully, if time permits them, Leorio and that jerk of a friend, Kurapika too._

 _SWIIISH!_

 _I overheard some noise as I continued walking._

 _SWISH SWISH SWISH!_

 _It came from the woods that surrounded the pathway, somewhere around the left side._

 _I decided to take some time to check it out. I still got some time in my hands anyway as I'm not really in a rush. I followed the sound and headed to where it came from. I actually knew what it was though, but curiosity still got the best of me._

 _As I finally got closer, I hid behind a tree to check it out._

 _As I thought, it was Aniki. He was sitting at a stone bench with his chin rested on one hand while the other was throwing needles at some old, tattered dummies, hung from the trees. It was an old training ground for children where we usually practice our accuracy. He appears to be absent-mindedly throwing them despite the impeccable accuracy._

 _"Kil..." He called me out noticing my presence that I did try to conceal._

 _As I was called, I walked towards him._

 _"Going somewhere?" He asked without looking back at me, still throwing needles at the dummies nonchalantly. "It's pretty late."_

 _"I'm going out on a personal mission with my friends." I answered him._

 _"When are you expected to come back... Aren't you supposed to stay here and protect Alluka from me?"_

 _"I could care less about what you plan to do to her. You won't succeed on it anyway." I talked back defiantly, confident about the fact that he can't do anything to her as this whole situation with Nanika and Alluka is already under my control._

 _"You sound so sure about it..." He lethargically spoke. "Fair enough. As if I still have enough room for your shenanigans."_

 _He was probably still upset about the mission he roughly did where Alluka almost got hostaged... I admit that part of it was also my negligence as he have actually entrusted me the task of protecting Alluka while he does his business._

 _However, we both know that it's not his current concern._

 _"I'm going..." I turned my back and decided to leave in which he did not object and moved on to his business._

* * *

I simply can't carry on a long conversation with him. And that dated back since childhood. He had always been too high for me to reach.

To be honest, I somewhat felt hints of sympathy on his current situation. For the first time in my entire life with him as my Nemesis, this was the only time I have seen in his soulless eyes the desire to follow his own will and break free from the rules. He has always been the puppet of this family code. The real shadow puppet of darkness. The one with no ambitons, directions, goals and desires. He have never failed to follow the family code accordingly in which he drags the rest of us with him, confining us to a restriction, specially me who he was forcing to undergo the same fate as he did.

I understand how he felt. I saw myself in him for a little while. I have longed to tell him and shove into his face how it feels like to have something you wanted to do but you can't, how it feels like to yearn to break free. I wanted to give him a pat in the shoulder and say 'it's okay, we're in this together', but he's not the right person to receive such treatment from me anymore and it's not a matter he would want to discuss to someone 12 years younger than him.

Marriage is not a matter to laugh about. I knew he was against it. I believe he's someone who dislikes commitments and restrictions, and marriage itself is metaphorical to shackles that will impede you from doing the things you normally do as yourself. Marriage is only mutually blissful when love is involved. And love is only an illusion. He is not the type of person who can develop such emotion. He only experiences happiness when he gets to toy around someone's emotions and hold them by the neck, making their lives miserable. Over the time, for sure he can find someone he can marry... someone he chose to put under his clutches who was also willing to submit to his self-serving, egocentric whims, making the whole relationship one-sided with no emotional attachment coming from him.

We can all pray for him not to find that poor woman who will play the role of his ego-stroking slave. But apparently, as how he acts right now, he doesn't have the will to find that person. All I can see behind his impassive demeanor was the strong desire to break free. If there's something he was contemplating upon, it was most likely how to get away neatly from this situation without breaking that certain rule.

On the other hand, I can't blame Dad and Gramps for putting him under extreme pressure. Dad had Aniki when he was only 24 and Gramps had Dad when he was only 19. By now, Aniki is already 27, and since he reached 25, they have constantly reminded him of his obligation in which he stalled for at least 2 years. Considering the fact that I, the heir finally have left and started my own journey and Milluki seemed to hold no future expectations, Aniki was the only one left to be expected to fulfill the said obligation. The main goal is to widen the family tree and add more assassins that will propagate the family business until the next generations. Although it was just normal for him to be the first one to get married as he is the first born, I admit, I was also at fault for failing their expectations as the heir. The burden on him was doubled as I have quit and decided to stray away from our family for something rather self centered.

And that sums up the reasons for his current despondent state. I did not expect that somehow, I left a huge impact in our family...

And after all that I've seen in the past, and the things I have realized, I hate to say it, but it crushes me inside seeing him like that.

The guilt is eating me from the inside.

"Good evening Young Master..." I heard some butlers greet me that made me realize I have been walking nonchalantly, deep into my thoughts in which I have finally reached the mansion.

I walked along the dark hallway surrounded by stone walls. The trip I had from the past never made me feel like missing this place. It always stayed the same over the years. It always gave off the same grim, solitary vibe.

Seeing all of these just reminded me that I put myself further down to the depths of misery. That I did not need to know those things. That If I just stayed here and did not participate in the experiment, I could've saved the present and the future, and that me and Illumi both did not have to suffer this way...

But wait...

THAT'S NOT MY CONCERN HERE!

I did not come back here to repent on the things that I have realized and blame myself for everything that already have happened and were meant to happen regardless!

My sentiments can wait for later, but I have something MUCH MORE IMPORTANT to take care of...

...and that is to look for Palm!

I changed my pace and began hasting as I paced along the hallway to find Alluka. The moment I find Alluka, I'll definitely find Palm as well. I needed to go to her room!

They finally assigned Alluka to a new room they have decorated to exactly look and feel like her former underground refuge. Although it is where she stays now, the underground refuge where she used to be locked up before was still there for future security purposes just in case we might get in trouble. If any peril might occur, Alluka can stay down there while we take care of the mess up here as she's the most vulnerable member of the family and that her safety is a priority.

I pushed the door open to find no one inside...!

I moved about restlessly thinking where to find them before finally busting out of the room, getting back on the dash until I reached a junction of four different paths... I chose to turn right however even before I could do so...

"ONIICHAAAN~!"

I heard Alluka scream from behind, running towards me.

"Alluka...!" I smiled at her as she glomped me, hugging me really tight.

"Oniichan! I'm glad to see you again!"

"Yeah, me too!" I stroke her hair.

"I thought you'll take a little longer? I have learned a lot of new things! I have been training a lot too!"

"Very good! Alluka, I needed to ask you something..." I let go of her, holding on to her shoulders to face me. "Alluka... where is.."

"ONIICHAN! I have a surprise for you!" She interrupted me as she shook my hand off of her shoulder then grabbing it to drag me along with her as she ran off the corridor with me.

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER 7**

 **NOTE :** Considering their ages at the first part of the manga/series,Silva's age is 48 and Zeno is 67. So subtracting 48 from 67, Zeno had Silva at 19. If Illumi is 24, Silva had him at 24 too.


	8. Fluster

**DISCLAIMER :** Following the word itself "fanfiction", I do not own anything in this fiction and credits belong to the rightful creators of the manga: TOGASHI YOSHIHIRO, the publisher, the broadcasting companies of the anime both 1999 original version and 2011 remake - Nippon Animation and Madhouse, respectively and etc.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 8**

 **-FLUSTER-**

"Alluka, I needed to ask you something..." I let go of her, holding on to her shoulders to face me. "Alluka... where is.."

"ONIICHAN! I have a surprise for you!" She interrupted me as she shook my hands off of her shoulder then grabbing them to drag me along with her as she ran off the corridor with me.

I think I already know where exactly is this going...

"Okay... Let's see what you got there..." I apathetically spoke as I let her drag me along.

"Hang in there!" She ordered.

That's when we finally arrived in front of the library. She stopped and let go of me. "Oniichan! Close your eyes!"

"Okay..." I did so anyways, shutting my eyes tight as I let her drag me again inside.

No doubt. I felt a presence inside the room. Strong enough to compete with me in an upront, physical battle...

I can't be mistaken... But I must not react recklessly...

"Oniichan! Open your eyes!"

I opened my eyes to see a woman in her mid 20's wearing a butler's uniform with long, wavy black hair.

"TAAADAAAAA!" Alluka waved her arms, presenting her so-called suprise that was not really a surprise to me anymore... rather, SHE WAS actually my purpose in here...!

"Good evening, Master Killua..." The woman bowed before me.

I inhaled deeply, trying to suppress the rage building inside me.

"Oniichan? You okay?" Alluka tilted her head, checking on my strange, disgruntled reaction. "You're friends with her right? Are you not happy to see her?"

"I am..." I was still keeping myself from reacting violently as I gave out a twisted, wry smile, while I marched forward towards the woman.

"It's a surprise to know you arrived earlier than expected, Master." She continued speaking the moment I stopped at least a foot away from her.

"Alluka, go to your room right now. I needed to borrow your 'NEW BABYSITTER' for a while. I needed to discuss a few matters with her..."

"Huh?" Alluka gave me a confused look as I held her new babysitter by the hands and dragged her out of the library...

* * *

"Sit down."

I ordered the woman to sit down on a cushion on the floor while I locked the door, finally in the comfort and refuge of my own room to keep everything private.

I was right...

Right when Alluka told me she has a surprise for me, I knew it was her... it was PALM all along!

She did as I ordered and watched me sit in front of her, crossing my legs.

"What is it that you wanted to discuss Master. I still needed to..."

"DON'T YOU MASTER ME, YOU BITCH OF AN ANT!" I blurted out. "What in the bloody hell is this of your shenanigans?!"

"But Master..."

"CUT THE MASTER OUT! Speak bitch! What the hell are you doing here!" I crossed my arms and gave her a stern glare.

"You're still as rude as always..." She scoffed. "Since you already ordered me to cut the formalities out, might as well tell you that you're not even at the right age to talk to me like that!"

"You're in MY territory. I have ALL THE RIGHTS."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes. "Is it wrong for me to kill some time working here as personal assistant of my friend while waiting for a mission from the Association?"

"IT IS!" I impatiently nodded. "You see... it's not time you're trying to kill in here but YOURSELF! DO YOU ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GETTING YOURSELF INTO?!" I seized her collar infuriatedly, screaming right at her face. "YOU'RE TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED OVER A SAPPY DREAM THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY TURN INTO A NIGHTMARE!"

"What the hell are you talking about!?" She talked back, whisking my hands off of her collar. I hate to admit it, but she really is still stronger than me PHYSICALLY after all.

"Don't you dare deny it! I KNOW THE STORY! IKALGO AND THE REST TOLD ME! Who in the bloody depths... of fucking hell... IS THAT 'MYSTERY MAN' YOU WERE CHASING AROUND?!"

"What?! No!" She shook her head frantically, cupping her mouth with her hands. "There's no such thing! It was a completely different story!"

"LIAR!" I thrusted a finger towards her. "SPEAK NOW, OR I'LL FIRE YOU!"

"I have nothing to speak about! Believe me! Please don't fire me!"

I put my finger down and crossed my arms once again, waiting to hear her story. "SPEAK!"

"I enjoy hanging out with your sister. She's very cute, easy to look after and take care of. Alluka is a nice child. I wanted to stay here for longer as I myself have wished back then to have a younger sister to take care of and this is the closest I could get to it... Please don't fire me."

"Liar..." I scoffed. "If ALLUKA is the reason why you wanted to stay longer, why does it coincide with the mystery man incident! WHO AND WHERE IS HE IN THIS ESTATE! TELL ME WHERE IS HE!"

"He's not in here!" She yelled back. "I mean... it's... none of your business! He has got nothing to do with this believe me!"

"YEAAAAH RIGHT! How did you find out about the babysitter vacancy? THAT WAS WHEN YOU WERE BUSY FANGIRLING OVER HIM USING YOUR CLAIRVOYANCE! Therefore, it only means, HE STAYS NEAR THE VICINITY! YOU KNOW THE FUCKING RULES IN THIS HOUSEHOLD!"

"I KNOW!" She shrieked at me, interrupting me. "I know the rules. I was entirely aware that it's strictly prohibited for butlers to engage into a romantic relationship with ANYONE, regardless whether it's your fellow butler or anyone outside the estate. If caught both will be executed."

"GOOD!" I nodded at her with a wide-eyed, furious glare. "And that's why I am telling you that you're an idiot! Do you think by working in here, you'd get closer to getting hooked to that guy?!"

"THAT'S NOT DEINITELY MY INTENTION! I have no plans in getting into a relationship with him! Hell, I don't even deserve him..." Her eyes mellowed into an expression of abashment, averting it from my furious gaze. "I made it clear! I am happy serving as your sister's personal assistant... He has got nothing to do with this!"

"JUST MAKE SURE HE DOESN'T! IF... okay, IF - EVER anyone gets to know about this, specially that... D'AW!" I scratched my head madly in frustration. "I CAN'T LET YOU GET KILLED BY THAT SPAWN OF HELL! This is why I'm asking you everything! IF YOU WON'T BE HONEST, I WON'T BE ABLE TO HELP YOU JUST IN CASE!"

"Trust me." She finally looked back at me with a gleam of assurance in her eyes. "It's a personal matter I prefer to keep to myself. I already found him, and have seen him here every now and then. But that's just it. There's nothing more. The feelings are unreciprocated and I believe it won't grow into something further... He's too far for me to reach. I can never tell him what I felt, and if I did, he wouldn't seem to care... So your fears won't happen. Don't worry about me... I appreciate the care and concern."

I saw a hint of insecurity and frustration in her eyes as she lowered her head down, locking her deep blue eyes down the floor.

"(sigh) Alright..." I finally started to cool down, taking her situation into consideration. "I just wanted to ensure your safety anyway... I can't let my friends get hurt... and it sorta feels awkward having a friend or a comrade as a servant around the household, you know?! Geez. As long as you promise me!"

"Huh?"

"Promise me you'll never do anything stupid that might cause you to get into trouble. If ever you did, I'll NEVER try to cover you up!... And there's one more thing, DON'T-YOU-EVER-DARE mess up with my eldest..."

RRRRRRIIIIIIIIING!

We glanced at each other for a while. "Okay, go ahead." I permitted her. "BUT YOU HAVE TO PUT THAT INTO LOUDSPEAKER!"

RRRRRRIIIIIIIIING!

"Okay... okay, chill down... sheesh..." She turned her back on me before she pressed the green button to answer the call. "Hello... Master"

"Yaa..." I heard the person on the other line spoke in which, Palm almost dropped the phone down, flustered as beads of sweat started to form around her forehead.

"Are you there?" The person on ther other line spoke once again in an impatient tone. It was Aniki's voice Im sure I've heard.

Palm hurriedly got a grip of the phone back and placed it on her ear with her hands still trembling. "Ah.. I'm sorry! I apologize Master! Yes, I'm here..." She stuttered.

"Good. Tomorrow, I'll be taking Alluka out with me as she requested as a reward for her 100% in the exams this morning."

WHAT? Aniki will be taking Alluka out with him tomorrow? NO! I CAN'T LET THIS HAPPEN! I'm pretty sure he's up to something! I needed to do something about it!

"I'm out of the mansion right now so I want you tomorrow to bring Alluka with you at the gates at 7 am and wait for me there. I'll be fetching you guys from there to wherever she wants us to go."

"..." Palm didn't respond however.

"Hey..."

"Ah..! Y-yes... Master?"

"Are you listening?"

"Y-YES! Yes, of course!"

"Really? Then repeat what I said..."

"Umm... I would be preparing Young Master Alluka for... ummm..."

"See? Don't make me repeat myself. This is the last. After this, there'll be none and I'll be issuing punishments if you fail to understand and comply."

"YES MASTER!"

"Alright I'll make it simple... pay attention. Bring Alluka with you at the gates tomorrow at 7 am. Wait for me to arrive so I can fetch you guys and take her out as she requested. Got it?"

"Got it, Master."

"Good."

He then hung up. Palm was left motionless for a little while before putting her phone back to her pocket then finally facing me.

"THAT. That's what I'm talking about. He's the real DANGER in here. HE'S THE ONE I JUST SAID YOU SHOULDN'T MESS UP WITH...!"

"I know..." She uttered.

"Does he know we're friends?"

"Yes he does."

"EEEEEH!? WHY DID YOU LET HIM KNOW?!"

"I did not tell him! He figured it out the moment he interviewed me the first week I worked here!"

* * *

 _Palm stood nervously in front of the gigantic door of the meeting hall. She was ordered to proceed to it for an interview. It was still her first week working as Alluka's babysitter. She held the door handle, still not opening it, trying to build up some courage._

 _"Proceed"_

 _She heard someone from inside spoke. Ready or not, she pushed the door open anyway as it is an order coming from her employer... rather, her Master._

 _There was a long table, lined with at least 12 splendidly decorated chairs. There were projectors, display equipments and a glass board in front. The place was huge that her steps as she made her way inside echoed around. It was mostly likely used for conferences and discussions regarding their transactions, researches and financial matters._

 _He appears to be seated at the last seat, as it was the only seat facing the back where the rest of the seats were still neatly arranged and unoccupied._

 _"Good evening Master." Palm remained standing, waiting for the Master to swivel the chair to face her._

 _"Sit down." It revealed a man in his mid-20's with straight, long black hair, with eyes that reflect a soulless gaze as he gave her a stern, assertive look._

 _"Y-yes Master." She bowed before doing as told._

 _He was holding the CV she submitted 5 days ago prior to getting hired. "I assume they already told you about me."_

 _"Umm yes... Master Illumi." She stuttered, still nervous._

 _"Good." He put the CV on the table and clasped his hands together. "I was the one who posted the ad you applied for where you got succesfully hired. Are you aware?"_

 _"Yes Master."_

 _"I just arrived from a week long mission. I wasn't here when you walked-in for an application so I wasn't able to interview you personally and that was at least 5 days ago. According to your superiors, you're doing good and Alluka seems to get along well with you."_

 _"Thank you Master."_

 _He paused for a while, skimming on the CV. "It says here that you're a half-blood Chimera Ant. You're a bit too strong to work as a Personal Assistant. I'll get it straight. I don't trust you."_

 _Palm remained silent._

 _"I am fully aware that Chimera Ants have the instinct to eat humans. And they choose the strong ones specially those who can use Nen to empower themselves. Is that what you came here for?"_

 _"Absolutely not Master!" Palm denied. "I was a real human."_

 _"All of the new generation Chimera Ants were once humans."_

 _"I was different Master! I did not become an Ant through Phagogenesis. I was an Experiment."_

 _"Experiment?"_

 _"Yes Master... I was the first and the last experiment that came succesful by the Royal Guard Chimera Ants. It was the Experiment they needed to do to prove the possibility of turning humans into Chimera Ants as how they planned to dominate the world."_

 _"Hmmm, I see... First and last huh..." He cupped his mouth with his fingers, thinking. "If what you're telling me about yourself is correct, then presumably, you were on East Gorteau during the Ant Extermination which is how you get to be an experiment subject. However, as written here in your CV, you're from the Yorbian Continent, a few hours of travel by the air away from our country. It's only possible for you to get into the selection back then if you're an inhabitant of the East Gorteau."_

 _"I wasn't from East Gorteau. I happened to be in there during the selection because of a mission."_

 _"Makes sense... It's also written here that you're a Hunter. So if that's the case, you were one of the members of the Ant Extermination Team. Am I right?"_

 _"Yes sir..."_

 _Palm was still anxious as Illumi kept quiet for a few moments, staring at the CV seemingly contemplating on some things before finally speaking out._

 _"Okay, that settles it..." He then faced Palm once again. "If you participated in the Ant Hunt, it's impossible for you not to know my brother Killua and his friend Gon, right?"_

* * *

"I can't deny it to him!" Palm explained. "He perceives things pretty fast there's no point in lying!"

I placed my palm on my forehead, shaking my head. "(sigh)... That was a bad move... By that, he was probably up to something by now! I can't let you take Alluka out alone with him. I know he's up to something..."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"He's... the bad guy in here..."

"But how?"

"Don't you get it? Were you informed that he was the executioner of the violators of that No Romantic Relationship Policy in here?! The moment he figures out you're secretly head over heels with anyone, he'd investigate if you and that guy has a special relationship or a mutual understanding and if he proves it YOU'RE DONE FOR GOOD! If there's anyone you needed to keep an eye on, that would be him!"

"Like I said it's one sided! It would never happen! And I would make sure he doesn't figure it out! Why do you talk so badly about your brother?!"

"Cuz he's the bad guy in here!"

Yeah. The bad guy. I turned him into the bad guy. It was still partly my fault why he has become the devil he is right now. DAMN! Why can't I stop thinking about it! THIS IS THE REALITY NOW! It's already in the past and its irrevocable! I have to protect my sister and my friend!

"He's not!" She blurted out that stupefied me for a little while. "For the little amount of time I have been here, I was able to tell he wasn't. No matter how busy he was, he always took the time to train and educate his brothers, even if they could get annoying at times... even if Alluka asks too much, even if Kalluto fails to meet his standards, even if Milluki slacks around... he's still there, patiently doing his role as the eldest brother and the role model he has to be!"

"GAWD!" I pulled my hair out in anger. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

"What is it left for me to know so I can judge him cruelly like you do?! That he kills people for money? That he's unfriendly and cold? That he's self centered and indifferent? Aren't you like that too yourself?!"

"WOAH WOAH WOAH, WATCH YOUR MOUTH RIGHT THERE." I began poking the crystal ball on her forehead. "We're talking about Alluka's and your safety here! He's an ego stroking demon who would do everything to get his object of interest shackled to his clutches. I AM ONE OF HIS OBJECTS OF INTEREST AND ALLUKA TOO. He only gets to be happy when he makes someone's life miserable by manipulating them and holding them by the necks! Regardless how I have appeared to have the whole situation under my control, he's still a lot more powerful than I am and HE'S CONSIDERING YOU A THREAT!"

I gasped for some air after yelling non-stop at her. While being enraged and flustered of current the situation, I am still being eaten by guilt inside. It felt a little heavy inside bad-mouthing him. But I have no choice. If I let my sympathy get the best of me, I'd lose both my sister and a friend and I can't let that happen.

"FINE!" I blurted out. "We have nothing more to discuss! You're dismissed!"

"Huh? But what about tomorrow?! You said you're not gonna..."

"You can do what you guys want... I don't give a shit..." I proceeded to my bed, and fell flat on it, placing my hands at the back of my head.

"Okay... Master." Palm then reluctantly bowed, confused about my sudden change of heart. She headed to the door, twisting the knob open.

"Oi!" I called her.

"Yes Master?"

"Don't let you and Alluka die." I dismissively spoke, with my eyes closed. I did not even bother to watch her make her way out of my room then closing the door.

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER 8**


	9. Excitement

**DISCLAIMER :** Following the word itself "fanfiction", I do not own anything in this fiction and credits belong to the rightful creators of the manga: TOGASHI YOSHIHIRO, the publisher, the broadcasting companies of the anime both 1999 original version and 2011 remake - Nippon Animation and Madhouse, respectively and etc.

* * *

Sorry for the delayed updates. I've been through a lot of things.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 9**

 **-EXCITEMENT-**

"You seem excited... What's up?"

"(chuckle) I can't wait for tomorrow..."

Hisoka was sitting by the glass wall overlooking the city, wearing a bathrobe while enjoying a goblet of wine. "It's been a little while since the last time I had somethig fun to do... There aren't strong opponents in here at the moment, and Chrollo is still on the loose and difficult to find."

Illumi visited Hisoka at his flat in the Heaven's Arena. "Mm-hm... there're only a few hours till tomorrow..."

"I can finally get to meet that woman you have been raving about... it's gonna be exciting... (giggle)"

"I am not too sure if she would statisfy your standards though. I mean, she's not too strong. But she has interesting abilities." Illumi sat on the couch and grabbed another goblet, filling it with wine.

"Haha, you bet. She wouldn't drive you crazy if she's not interesting enough... after all you wouldn't get to hire her if there's nothing special about her..."

"Why is it that whenever you say something, it always felt like there's something subliminally erotic within...? How many times shall I repeat myself, I wasn't the one who hired her... If only I was there, she couldn't have barged into our territory and started this little psy-war with me... I was utterly insulted by the fact someone like her at that level was trying to challenge me."

* * *

 _"Personal Assitant aye...?" The Kiriko Gotoh rubbed his chin while reading Palm's CV. Across him, she was sitting upstraight on a couch with her legs crossed, her hands on her lap._

 _"Yes sir." Palm bowed in response. "I saw the ad posted on the gatekeeper's booth when the tour bus stopped for a while to allow us to take pictures of the estate. I was interested, so I decided to give it a shot and hurriedly grabbed the opportunity to send an application."_

 _"Hmm..." He placed the CV on the desk. "You do qualify for a lot of positions available here in the estate however, there are some things that make you a little too threatening for the specific vacancy you are applying for. It is written in here that you're a Half-Human, Half Chimera Ant and you're also a Hunter. Why did you choose to work here when you already have a job yourself. And doesn't being a half-blood Chimera Ant make you a little too dangerous to handle children or even live with people?"_

 _"Oh no~! I'm not the kind of Chimera Ant who eats humans... I'm mostly a human than an Ant... As of now, the Hunter Association didn't have any missions for us to complete. I've heard that the pay is pretty rewarding in here, and I figured out I have the right strength and ability to live in this kind of environment so..."_

 _"Okay, hold on. I'll just call the Master. He's the one who posted the ad so he's the only one eligible to decide who to hire. We just entertain applicants here to refer to the Master."_

 _Kiriko Gotoh then stood up and headed to the a desk by the wall where the telephone line is attached. He picked it up then began dialling._

 _"Hello. This is Gotoh. Can you transfer my call to Master Illumi?"_

 _"..."_

 _"Huh? We have an applicant here who responded to his ad."_

 _"..."_

 _"Okay... Got it."_

 _He then went back to Palm. "The Master isn't here. He's out on a mission and it will take him most likely until next week to arrive. If you want, you can just come back next week so you can get interviewed by him."_

 _"Oh... Okay sir...!" Palm stood up then bowed as a sign of courtesy. "Thanks for your time."_

 _"No problem."_

 _RIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNG_

 _The telephone line on the wall rang as Palm started to head for the door out of the Butler's Headquarters._

 _Gotoh picked the phone up._

 _The moment Palm was about to twist the knob of the door open to leave the Headquarters, Gotoh called her back._

 _"Wait up!"_

* * *

 _"You are the applicant?"_

 _"Yes, Master..." Palm gave a bow before attempting to sit down on the couch._

 _"Wait wait wait... can you remain standing for a while?"_

 _Zeno eyed her carefully from head to foot for a few moments. "Okay you may sit now."_

 _Palm did as she was told and sat on the couch across Zeno who was reviewing her CV while rubbing his chin._

 _"Illumi is not here so I decided to volunteer on entertaining the applicants in behalf of him. You know, getting old isn't fun and there's nothing much to do up there in the mansion..."_

" _Oh... I see..." Palm sheepishly responded._

 _"Your name is Palm Siberia... 25... hmmm..." He appeared to be skimming the CV until he paused at a certain part. "You're a half-blood Chimera Ant?"_

 _"Umm Y-yes... Master..." She stuttered, being aware that she's less likely gonna get hired after them knowing her identity as a half ant._

 _"Hmmm..." He resumed reading until he reached the last part. He eyed her once again from head to foot, rubbing his chin._

 _"Okay, you're hired."_

 _"WHAT?!" The butlers around, even Gotoh thought to themselves, dumbfounded and shocked of the Master's ridiculous decision._

 _"Eh?" Even Palm herself was confused._

 _"But, but Master..." Gotoh protested. "I believe we still needed to..."_

 _"Needed to what?" Zeno put the papers back on the desk. "According to the ad Illumi has posted, the qualifications were only 'ANYONE who can do babysitting'. It was minimal. Nothing more specific. She possesses that particular qualification, so why not?"_

 _"But..."_

 _"Call Tsubone and tell her to guide this newly hired employee so she can start training and working right now." He commanded Gotoh. "And you,..." He then turned to Palm. "Welcome to the Zoldyck Household. You can start working now."_

" _Th-thank you Master...!" Even though everything seemed surreal for her, Palm managed to still thank Zeno as a sign of courtesy to her new Master._

 _Zeno then turned his back and headed for the door._

 _While a butler was dialling to Tsubone to relay the order and Palm waiting on the couch, Gotoh tried to run up to Zeno. "But Master, I believe she is a little too dangerous and suspicious... and you know, I think Master Illumi would agree and think the same way.."_

 _"Are you scared of that brat Illumi?" Zeno asked tauntingly._

 _"Umm... actually..."_

 _"Don't worry about that kid... If he throws a fit about it, you can always tell him I WAS THE ONE who hired her."_

* * *

"Your Grandad seemed to have everything in his sleeves to piss you off..."

"Believe me, he does. Him and Dad are still putting me under the pressure while this bitch is meddling around. The worst part there is, Alluka liked her a lot. Although on the brighter side, I seemed to have escaped out of Nanika's favorite zone as that woman have been my replacement, she was actually a larger threat which makes this situation even worse. Hypothetically, Gramps realized that she can add up to my problems so he decided to put her in..."

* * *

 _"Gramps..." Illumi uttered upon coming across his Grandfather who was on his way to the dining hall._

 _"Mm?" He looked back at Illumi. "What's up? You finally arrived..."_

 _The night Illumi arrived from a week long mission, 5 days after Palm got hired._

 _"Gramps, were you the one who hired Alluka's new Personal Assistant?"_

 _"Yeah, why?" Zeno asked confidently. "Looking flustered aye?" He referred to Illumi's indifferent, unchanging expressions that only his family members and people close to him can tell._

 _"Gramps... that woman is a Chimera Ant..."_

 _"And?"_

 _"She could be dangerous."_

 _"Hahahahaha! That was an unexpected remark from someone like you!" He chuckled, teasing the unobviously irritated Illumi. "Are you possibly scared of that woman?"_

 _"Of course not." ._

 _"You can perceive things faster than the most. If she started to appear as a threat then you can always get rid of her as how you wish. Giving it a try won't hurt."_

* * *

"When he said 'get rid of her' at that moment, he knew that it's not actually that bitch I'm gonna be dealing with but Kil himself instead. It's most likely because Gramps foresaw that Killua would be teaming up with that woman as they are friends... He thought it's gonna be another spice up to this goddamn game..."

"And it took some time before you realize it..." Hisoka remarked, taking another sip.

"I can never beat Dad and Gramps and that's something I can never deny. Speaking of Killua..." Illumi crossed his legs as he gently shook the wine goblet. "He just arrived from his personal mission."

"Did you get to talk to him?"

"Nah. It's pointless. I'm pretty sure by now, he's discussing a lot of matters with his friend."

"I think the situation has gotten much better that Killua, one of the main actors of this little show has finally showed up..."

"Oh you could tell..." Illumi let out a slight grin. "It's going to be a lot easier to read between the lines now that the most important role has finally showed up. His and that woman's reaction tomorrow will settle everything. Once we figure it out, it's time to move on to the next step..."

"Mm-hm... that's why I'm excited... (Chuckle)"

"I still admire Killua's drastic changes however... I would admit he's putting me into a very tough situation. I can't believe he can now actually go head-on with me in a mind game... Back then he was just a little coward who can't even look at me straight into the eyes..."

"Do you think your Gramps, your Dad and Killua have been teaming up and that woman was one of their accessories after the fact?"

"That's one thing we needed to confirm tomorrow. I have a hunch though that they don't have that connection... I know Killua just can't team up with Dad and Gramps. He longed to beat me with his own hands... Killua's been playing with me separately..."

"And that woman and Alluka is his trump card..."

"Exactly... and I would make sure to make his advantage his own downfall. It's astounding how he took account of everything. He actually sent a friend to guard Alluka from me in behalf of him right the moment he left for his mission. Plus, that woman has a special connection with Alluka and Nanika too..."

* * *

 _2 weeks ago..._

 _TWITCH TWITCH TWITCH..._

 _"A little... more..." Alluka gritted her teeth as she exerted more effort to twitch and crack the joints of her right hand, trying to execute their signature assassination technique. She was almost there as veins started to emerge from the thin skin of her hand and her nails grew sharper. "Aaah! I can't..." She gasped for some air, pouted and sulked. She then finally relaxed her hand, putting it back to its normal state._

 _"It's okay." Illumi spoke. He was there to supervise her self defense training the Zoldyck way, while Palm was on stand-by mode for extra assistance just in case Alluka needed something. Alluka was not obliged to do assassination so she's not officially an assassin of the family. "It's still Tuesday anyways. I am giving you until this Saturday to master that one for your right hand. Then next week the left."_

 _"EEEEHHH?"_

 _"You wanted to be strong like Oniichan right?" He asked sarcastically._

 _"But... okay..." Alluka, oblivious of Illumi's indifferent and sarcastic nature yielded anyway._

 _"Good." He placed his hand on her head. "You can take your break now."_

 _"Yaaay!" She hurriedly ran towards Palm. "Palm! Did you see that? I almost made it!"_

 _"Yeah! Well done, Young Master!" Palm clapped her hands to appreciate the little one's endeavor._

 _"Palm... pat my head..."_

 _The moment Alluka said this, Illumi automatically thought this one is not Alluka but Nanika. It's actually a relief that Palm was now Illumi's replacement on Nanika's favorite zone. But he still didn't like having her around._

 _"Mm-hm! Sure! You DESERVE IT!" Palm did so anyways. "You're so cute!"_

 _"(giggle)"_

 _"Alright, before anything else, you need to drink some water to refresh... okay?" Palm gave Alluka a bottle of water and she drank it as she was told._

 _"Aii!"_

 _Illumi, confused and bewildered at the same time, looked back at Alluka. Only Nanika says that. Did he just misunderstood things? Did Nanika just follow what she ordered?_

 _"Very good!" Palm pat her head once again. "Just sit and stay right there okay? I'm just gonna go there and get your snacks for you."_

 _"Aii!" Alluka then sat on the bench swinging her legs back and forth._

 _"You're so cute!" Palm gently pinched Alluka's cheeks before she proceeded._

 _That was obviously an order. Illumi thought, is it possible that Palm finally have gained Nanika's emotional attachment and now she can freely issue her commands? Or it was Killua's command to follow whatever Palm says?_

 _"There ya go...!" Palm handed the picnic basket to Alluka. "I made all of them just for you!"_

 _"YAAAAY!" Alluka then began to grab a sandwich and started to eat._

 _"Alluka..." Illumi approached. "Can you give me a sandwich?"_

 _It was a little test. He wanted to confirm if what he heard was for real..._

 _Alluka just gave him back an innocent grin. "I love Aniki...! I love Palm..."_

 _Ticked of Alluka's, rather, Nanika's behaviour towards him, he paused and tried to hold his temper down, letting out a deep breath._

 _"Young Master, Master Illumi is asking for a sandwich... please give him a sandwich..." Palm tried to scold Alluka. "I'm so sorry Master, sometimes she acts like this to other people..." She bowed as a sign of apology. "I'll make sure this won't happen again..."_

 _"Aii!" Alluka handed over one sandwich to Illumi. "Palm!" She then turned to Palm. "Pat my head!"_

* * *

"Oh that one... that's what makes it much more dangerous, considering the fact she can always wish to him anything that can bring you to your downfall..."

"I am still lost about her knowing that she can actually order Nanika around and she's just feigning ignorance, OR, she really was oblivious about it and it was Killua's order to follow everything that she says without her knowing..."

"That's exactly what I mean about trump card... regardless that, they are still Killua's trump cards. I am not too sure what is he trying to achieve with this little game he started with you, but of course, it would be such a shame if he beats you this time..."

"He wants me to give up on Alluka's parasitic twin and on him."

"Don't you think there can also be a deal between them? You know, Killua won't probably be just asking her friend a favor without promising her something in return. It was a risky task he assigned her after all..."

"We think alike... that's what also bothers me at the moment. I'm wondering what bargain did Kil offer her specially when she was that entity who has been watching me..."

"Oh that one who was getting on your way during your mission at the Azian Continent the preceding weeks...?"

"Yup. I just confirmed our hypothesis last week... She seemed to be able to locate people without being in the same location even without using En. I just don't exactly know how."

"She could be a specialist?"

"I can't tell. I think not. I haven't seen the exact maneuver to perform the said task. I never felt her exert an aura for it also... It's just the same presence or vibe that I feel when she's around and when that entity is watching me."

"Hmm, interesting... how did you get your facts straight though?"

"I was unsure until one time I asked her about how's Alluka doing during his private classes to test my theory about her and the unseen entity being one person only. Although she did not leave the place, she was able to tell accurately what was he doing, and apparently when I checked, she was right. I issued the same type of command at a non consecutive manner to different people and that's when I confirmed it even without seeing how she does it."

"Oh... Coincidence? I think not. But isn't it a bit strange that she freely used her ability around you when she was planning something ulterior? Did you ask her straightforwardly yet about that mysterious ability of hers?"

"I didn't. It's pretty pointless to hide it, I believe. They know I'd sooner or later figure it out specially that the downside of her Clairvoyance ability was that, it was recognizable by the object that he or she is being watched by an unseen entity. I was completely too much into my mission back then at Kakin that I did not anticipate Kil would actually send someone to spy on me, forgetting to consider the fact that Kil's ant friends stay somewhere in Kakin. And that was right when he left for the mission."

"And she applied for the vacancy the day right after the night she almost jinxed your mission. Well played..."

"Right? I was caught off-guard and it was an unexpected move. That explains why Kil always sounded so sure about everything. It was carefully thought and planned all along..."

"You should be careful though... are you just going to let your little bro beat you at your own forte?"

"I would NEVER let that happen." Illumi put the goblet down the glass table in front of him and crossed his arms. "Tomorrow's gonna be the moment of truth. I kept myself quiet in the shadows for some time, letting them do all of the attacks. After gathering enough infos, receiving their attacks defenselessly, it's finally my turn and I will show them who owns this game."

"Hmmm... let's see about that. You still have another bomb that has a timer on it though. Don't you think you have to detonate it before everything else?"

"I'm also working on a plan for it... but as of now, the only matter I can discuss with you is this one. We'll figure everything out tomorrow. And tomorrow's results will determine our counter attacks."

"I hate how I can't get to sleep out of excitement. I needed to get at least enough of it to perform my role efficiently for tomorrow. (chuckle)"

Illumi gave Hisoka that vague flat expression that can be translated into a sarcastic, gloating smile as he took another sip from the goblet.

* * *

"HOLY SHIT!"

I jolted myself up in haste. I realized I haven't even changed nor have even taken a shower. I was still even wearing my shoes with my bag slumped randomly down the floor!

I actually fell asleep pondering about this dilemma I, my friend and my brothers are caught up into!

I looked around and gazed at the closed curtains to notice light rays forcing its way to break in from the gaps which only means the sun was already up.

I jumped down the bed, and ran to my walk-in closet to get a robe and a towel. I needed to calm myself down and relax. I wouldn't be able to solve this problem logically if I continue being tensed about it. I maybe needed to get some warm, relaxing bubble bath and some massage...

As I start to undress and throw my soiled clothes off the wall, I felt like there's something I'm missing out... I felt like, I forgot something...

I decided to check the time to figure out how long have I been sleeping while I was putting the bathrobe on. The clock says, its 6:56 am.

Oh... It's still early. maybe my shower can wait for later... I'm just gonna take a nap again.

I headed for the bed and dropped myself down into its loving comfort once again.

6:56... in the morning...

morning...

I INDEED FORGOT SOMETHING! GODAMMIT HOW COULD I!

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER 9**


	10. Start

**DISCLAIMER :** Following the word itself "fanfiction", I do not own anything in this fiction and credits belong to the rightful creators of the manga: TOGASHI YOSHIHIRO, the publisher, the broadcasting companies of the anime both 1999 original version and 2011 remake - Nippon Animation and Madhouse, respectively and etc.

* * *

 **PLEASE, IF YOU HAPPEN TO LIKE THE STORY, A FEEDBACK/REVIEW WONT HURT AND TAKE SO MUCH OF YOUR TIME.**  
It's what keeps this story going.  
Im glad to see I have a lot of views and visits, and a **FEEDBACK (may it also be a follow or a favorite, if youre a registered user here)** from you, valued readers would definitely be more than appreciated. I would be more than glad to hear from you.  
Questions also are welcome and will be definitely answered.

Thank you.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 10  
** **-START-**

I headed for the bed and dropped myself down into its loving comfort once again.

6:56... in the morning...

morning...

I INDEED FORGOT SOMETHING! GODAMMIT HOW COULD I!

* * *

7:10 am.

I glided my way smoothly yet hastily.

The moment I reached the huge stone wall that impeded me from moving forward, I then retreated from Godspeed mode and returned to my normal state.

I pushed the gates open to reveal two figures in front of me.

THERE THEY ARE!

Thank god I was still able to catch them! It wasnt't yet too late after all!

"Alluka!"

"Oniichan!" Alluka exclaimed as she looked back at me right the moment I called her out, waving her hand at me. And there is Palm standing next to her.

"Good morning Master Killua." She bowed.

I ran towards Alluka. "Alluka... where are you going with Palm?" I asked, feigning ignorance even though I already knew all about it.

"Aniki is going to take me out on a walk!" She excitedly answered. "We're going to the amusement park! I'm soo excited!"

I remained stern and indifferent to Alluka's excitement. "We talked last night." I told Palm.

"Alluka..." I then turned back to Alluka. "Is it okay for Oniichan to join you guys?"

"What?! NO!" She refused angrily. "You're not coming with us Oniichan! You'll stay here at home!"

"WHAT?!" I blurted out. "WHY NOT?"

"Young Master..." Palm, let out a sheepish smile as she turned to Alluka. "We can just let Master Killua join. He's..."

"I said no...!" Alluka crossed her arms, scoffing at me. "Stay here okay?" She started to calm down. "Please?"

Ohhhkaaaay! There really is something strange going on in here this! Alluka will never deny me like this! She would usually be glad to have me tagging along with them, but why not now?! What is she up to? Does this have something to do about Palm? And if it does, what is it about?!

SCREEEECCCHHHH!

Suddenly, a car came speeding around. It swerved to the side and drifted towards us then brought itself to a sudden halt a meter before the doors could come crashing towards us. It was Aniki's car.

The window slid open to reveal him and his usual indifferent expression. "Hop in."

"YAAAAAY!" Alluka hurriedly ran towards the car. Palm was left motionless, lost in her thoughts for a mean while before she started to come back to her senses.

"Careful, Young Master..." Palm caught up to Alluka at once then opened the door of the back seat for her. Alluka went in happily, humming around.

"You sit at the backseat with Alluka." Aniki ordered Palm.

"Yes Master." Palm bowed before she made her way in.

"WAIT UP!" I screamed before Palm could close the door.

Aniki raised a brow, looking back at me. "What's up Kil...? Wanna join us?" He asked.

"Yeah." I answered, glaring straight through his eyes.

"That's strange...You don't usually want to hang out with me. We're going out on a walk..." Aniki answered me with his usual passive-aggressive, sarcastic tone. "Alluka..." Aniki then called Alluka's attention from the backseat. "Oniichan wanted to join... will you allow him?"

"NO!" She straight-up denied. "ONIICHAN YOU'LL STAY HERE!"

"Heared that Kil? I believe he wouldn't want you to join. He requested this to be a little date just between me and him after his job well done yesterday."

"YEP YEP!" Alluka nodded in agreement. "Just stay there Oniichan until we get back! I'll make sure to buy something for you!" She smiled at me.

WHAT THE FUCK! I am screaming internally! I wanted to pull my hair out and chew the goddamn hell out of it! What the hell is this LITTLE DATE they're talking about! If Alluka wanted this to be just between Aniki and her, WHAT THE HELL IS PALM DOING THERE?! They don't need a goddamn escort because Aniki is already in there!

"Bye Kil." Aniki said. "Palm, you may now close the door."

Palm then bowed at me before she did as she was told.

"ONIICHAN DON'T FOLLOW US!" Alluka pointed at me, glaring at me furiously.

"FINE, WHATEVER!" I yelled back sarcastically, throwing my hands up in the air.

The car started to advance while Alluka's mean expression changed into a happier and livelier one, waving her hand at me goodbye.

I slid my hands at my pocket as I remained standing, weighing the situation in my head.

What are they up to? It was repeatedly implied that Alluka was the one who requested this to be JUST between her and Aniki and that she doesn't want anyone around. Alluka should be happy to have me around, but this time she drove me away, and was okay however about having Palm around instead! Does this mean Palm is now closer to her than me?!

I can use this situation to my advantage however. If Palm is there, I can always monitor what's going on while Alluka's hanging around with Aniki and that's when I can come to rescue the moment Aniki's gonna do something stupid.

But Aniki isn't dumb enough to have Palm around when he wants to do something ulterior with Alluka specially that he knew I am friends with Palm... We both know he hates risks.

Hold on. WHAT IF ANIKI'S REAL TARGET HERE IS PALM AND ALLUKA? That he finally have figured out Palm's motives of getting in here and have found the man she is following around while at the same time capturing Alluka, hitting two birds with one stone? What if he secretly manipulated Alluka and convinced her not to let anyone join them around so no one gets in his way, specially me!

I was right! He has been indeed planning to do something! I must follow them!

BUZZZZ...

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.

I checked to see a message coming from Palm.

"Don't worry. I got this covered. Trust me this time. I'll contact you just in case something happens when I needed reinforcement. For now, you don't have to follow us... He doesn't seem to be planning anything ulterior..."

For some reason, maybe I was just overthinking. For some months Alluka and I have stayed here with Aniki, he never did anything adversarial when he can freely do what he wants knowing the difference between mine and his abilities. That I am no match to him in every sort of battle.

It's infuriating how Aniki have gained Alluka's trust and attachment, and I can't change how Alluka thinks about him otherwise I'd appear to be an entire asshole to her, badmouthing someone she admires. Alluka hates it when I talk bad about anyone and when I misbehave.

But what if Palm is already being manipulated by him and the message she sent was an order from him?! That he plans to fool me into it, making me believe that everything's fine and before I knew it, he have already carried out his plan succesfully and finally have gained Alluka, and maybe Palm as well~ as his new 'puppets' to use against me for me to be finally added as the final piece to his 'puppet collection'!

And what's even worse is, my family have ALWAYS trusted his judgment!

No. I must keep calm. Overthinking might even cause worse problems. If I make a hasty move, I may screw things up worse than expected...

Anyhow, Aniki doesn't seem to be really thrilled about the idea of taking out Alluka with him. By that, I can prolly finally rule out the theory that he has been planning to do something today. Maybe not today but the succeeding days.

Nonetheless, I must keep my guards up. I began to turn back, heading to the gate.

Might as well take some bath and relax...

I think I'm just being too tensed and stressed I needed to clear my mind and prepare for later just in case...

* * *

 **END OF CHAPTER 10**


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